A 


CALL  FROM  THE  OCEAN. 


OR 


AN  APPEAL 


TO  THE 


PATRIOT  AND  THE  CHRISTIAN, 


IN 

BEHALF  OF  SEA^EH. 

— ©©© — 

Br  JOHN  TRUAIR, 

Corresponding  Secretary  to  the  A ■ S.  F.  Society. 





NEW-YORK: 

PRINTED  FOR  “THE  AMERICAN  SEAMEN’S  FRIEND  SOCIETr.^' 
John  Gray  & Co.  Printers*- 


1826. 


TO  THE  READER. 


The  design  of  this  publication  is  to  lay  before  the  public,  the  real  state  of  seamen, 
and  the  reasons  which  should  influence  the  benevolent,  and  even  the  lovers  of  their 
country,  immediately  to  do  something  to  meliorate  their  moral  condition,  and  to  co-ope- 
rate with  those  who  have  seen  the  evils,  and  set  their  hands  to  attempt  a remedy.  The 
“ American  Seamen’s  Friend  Society,”  under  whose  auspices  this  appeal  is  given  to  the 
world,  have,  under  God,  set  their  hands  to  this  work ; and  they  are  determined  not  to 
abandon  it,  because  they  feel  it  to  be  the  cause  of  their  country,  and  the  cause  of  God. 

It  is  hoped,  therefore,  that  the  reader  will  give  this  call  a very  careful  perusal,  and  not 
lay  it  by  on  barely  reading  the  title  and  the  leading  heads.  A careful  perusal  will  be 
needful,  in  order  that  the  reader  may  at  all  be  in  possession  of  the  most  important  facts  in 
the  case  ; since,  in  a pamphlet  of  this  size,  nothing  more  can  be  given  than  a general 
developement  of  facts  connected  with  this  great  and  important  subject,  as  we  hope 
to  make  it  appear  in  the  sequel, 


AIN  APPEAL.,  &c 


^"~2 


“ 0 think  on  the  mariner  toss’d  on  the  billow, 

Afar  from  the  home  of  his  childhood  and  youth  : 

No  mother  to  watch  o’er  his  sleep-broken  pillow, 

No  father  to  counsel,  no  sister  to  soothe.” 

Christendom  has  long  slumbered  over  the  maritime  world,  and 
been  almost  entirely  regardless  of  the  moral  condition  of  seamen. 
On  this  subject  a slumber  deep  and  lone;  has  rested  upon  the  Chris- 
tian world  ; and  seamen,  generation  after  generation,  have  been 
made  the  prey  of  vice  in  every  form,  with  scarcely  “ an  eye  ” to  pity 
or  a hand  to  save.  But  God  calls  upon  men  to  arise  from  this 
slumber,  and  upon  Christians  to  “ shine”  upon  this  darkness,  that 
their  light  may  be  seen  and  felt  among  the  nations.  Then  shall 
the  light  of  Zion  “ break  forth  as  the  morning,”  and  the  “ Gentiles 
shall  come”  to  her  light ; and  the  “ abundance  of  the  sea  shall  be 
converted”  unto  her.  It  has,  however,  been  said,  that  “ sailors,  do 
what  you  will  for  them,  will  be  sailors  still :”  and  also,  that  “ you 
may  as  well  labour  with  a main-mast,  to  produce  a moral  change, 
as  with  a sailor.”  Now,  in  opposition  to  this  statement,  we  will 
prove,  if  there  be  truth  either  in  the  Bible  or  in  fact,  that 

SEAMEN  CAN  BE  CONVERTED. 

To  prevent  being  misunderstood,  we  will  explain.  By  seamen 
vve  mean,  that  class  of  men  who  “ do  business  in  great  .raters,” 
and  who  thus  become  inhabitants  of  the  world  at  large.  We  m^an 
them  as  a class  distinct  from  other  men  By  their  being  converted. 
we  mean,  that  they  can  be  changed  from  a life  of  sin  to  a life  of 
holiness  ; from  sinners  to  saints ; and  from  the  enemies  to  the  friends 
of  God. 

That  seamen  can  be  converted,  in  the  above  senses,  we  prove, 
from  the  facts  that  they  are  men,  and  that  the  Gospel  of  Christ  is 
designed  to  save  men.  Seamen  are  not  only  men,  but  they  are,  in 
many  things,  men  of  a noble  and  generous  .character,  to  be  met  with 
in  few  other  men.  They  are  men  of  feeling,  and  that  often  of  a 
peculiarly  tender  kind.  Even  in  matters  of  religion  they  often  feel, 
when  it  is  clearly  presented  to  them,  to  a degree  that  ought  to 
alarm  and  make  ashamed  many  who,  from  their  childhood,  have 
been  blessed  with  all  the  means  of  grace,  of  which  the  sailor  has 
been  totally  deprived.  The  Gospel,  being  addressed  to  the  feelings, 
as  well  as  to  the  understandings,  of  men,  is  as  likely,  and  perhaps 


4 


more  so,  if  faithfully  presented,  to  have  its  saving  and  renovating 
effect  upon  seamen  as  upon  any  other  class  of  men. 

That  seamen  can  be  converted,  is  proved  from  the  scriptures. 
In  Isa.  lx.  5,  it  is  declared,  that  “ The  abundance  of  the  sea  shall 
be  converted ” unto  the  Church  of  God.*  In  the  forty-second  chap- 
ter of  this  same  prophet,  it  is  also  affirmed,  not  only  that  it  is  the 
duty  of  seamen,  but  that  they  shall  yet  “ give  glory  to  the  Lord, 
and  declare  his  praise  in  the  islands.”  This  they  have  not  done  ! 
(We  shall  have  occasion  in  another  place  to  show  what  they  have 
done  !)  But  as  the  word  of  the  Lord  is  true,  this  must  yet  become 
the  work  of  sailors.  In  the  hundred  and  seventh  Psalm,  sailors  are 
mentioned  as  a class  of  men  who,  when  they  behold  the  wonders 
of  God,  fear  him  ; and  in  their  distress  call  upon  him  ; and  it  is  af- 
firmed that  he  hears  them,  and  in  answer  to  their  prayers,  he  deli- 
vers them  out  of  their  troubles,  and  “ briugeth  them  to  their  desired 
haven,”  In  the  sixty-fifth  Psalm  also,  God  is  said  to  be  the  con- 
fidence, not  only  “ of  all  the  ends  of  the  earth,”  but  “ of  them  also 
that  are  far  off  upon  the  sea.”  On  the  first  part  of  this  prediction, 
Christians  have  not  allowed  themselves  to  doubt;  but  the  second 
has  been  “ like  a dead  man,  out  of  mind.”  In  the  ninth  verse  of 
the  sixtieth  chapter  of  Isaiah,  sailors  are  recognized  as  the  most 
active  and  engaged  in  advancing  the  general  cause  of  God  in  the 
world.  Even  Jacob,  by  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  designated  a branch 
of  his  family  who  would,  in  future  time,  become  mariners  : Gen. 
xlix.  13.  and  Moses,  in  Dent,  xxxiii.  18,  19,  determines  the  ends  for 
which  they  were  to  become  so  : that  they  might  spread  the  know- 
ledge of  the  true  God,  and  advance  the  interests  of  his  kingdom 

* That  the  phrase,  “The  abundance  of  the  sea,”  in  Isaiah  Is.  5,  means  seamen,  and 
not  the  islands  of  the  sea,  seems  sufficiently  evident  from  the  fact,  that  the  islands  are 
made  a distinct  subject  of  prophecy,  in  the  ninth  verse  ; and  the  ships  of  Tarshish,  or 
seamen,  who  are  before  supposed  to  have  been  converted,  are  mentioned  as  the  most  ac- 
tive agents  in  the  conversion  of  the  islands.  And  besides,  the  inhabitants  of  the  islands 
must  be  included  along  with  the  Gentiles,  who,  in  this  fifth  verse,  are  mentioned  as  dis- 
tinct from  “ the  abundance  of  the  sea.”  To  confine  this  passage  to  riches,  as  some  have 
done,  seems  to  ascribe  too  much  importance  to  them  for  the  general  style  of  the  Bible. 
*If,  by  ‘‘  the  abundance  of  the  sea”  be  meant  “the  riches  of  the  sea,”  it  is  not  seen  why 
“ the  forces  of  the  Gentiles”  must  not  mean  about  the  same  thing.  But  it  must  be  abun- 
dantly evident,  that  the  riches  and  strength,  either  of  the  one  or  the  other,  can  never  be 
Brought  to  serve  the  great  interests  of  the  church,  until  those  who  have  the  management 
and  control  of  them,  are  converted  to  the  Christian  faith.  It  seems,  also,  not  very  ap- 
posite, to  speak  of  riches  being  “ converted”  unto  the  church.  It  is,  indeed,  true,  that 
the  prophet  goes  on  from  this  fifth  verse,  to  speak  of  the  silver,  and  gold,  and  beasts,  and 
wealth  of  the  nations,  and  of  the  islands  being  brought  to  beautify  the  house  of  God’s 
glory;  buf  he  does  not  speak  of  their  being  “converted.”  Such  joy,  exultation,  en- 
largement of  heart,  and  union,  or  “ flowing  together,”  as  are  mentioned  in  this  verse, 
seem  highly  proper,  and  to  accord  with  the  general  tenor  of  scripture,  at  a great  increase 
of  numbers  to  the  church,  by  the  conversion  of  those  who  before  had  been  strangers  and 
aliens;  but  not  because  she  is  rich.  In  converts  she  may  make  her  boast  in  God,  but 
not  in  her  riches. 

These  facts  constitute  a sufficient  authority  for  applying  the  passage  in  question  to  sea- 
men, or  to  those  who  do  business  in  great  waters  : — and  also  for  attaching  to  their  con- 
version all  the  importance  which  the  God  of  heaven  has  attached,  in  his  word,  to  the 
conversion  of  “ The  abundance  of  the  sea.” 


'5 


among  the  nations.*  The  seamen  shall  yet  “ sing  for  the  majesty 
of  the  Lord,  and  cry  aloud  from  the  sea  and  then  shall  the  Lord 
God  be  glorified  in  the  islands.  Isaiah  xxiv.  14,  15.  Indeed,  all 
the  predictions  of  the  universal  spread  of  the  Gospel,  have  a direct 
bearing  on  this  subject;  because  that  Gospel  of  salvation,  anil  that 
kingdom  of  righteousness,  can  never  fill  the  world  till  the  seamen 
are  converted  to  Christ. 

But,  that  seamen  can  be  converted,  is  proved  from  fact.  Reli- 
gious effort  has  been  more  abundantly  blessed  among  seamen  than 
among  any  other  class  of  men  whatever.  The  hopeful  conversion 
of  ten  thousand  in  less  than  ten  years,  with  the  very  feeble  and  ineffi- 
cient measures  which  have  been  adopted  to  accomplish  the  end, 
should  be  a sufficient  proof  of  this.  Such,  however,  is  but  a par- 
tial statement  of  the  fact : for  the  real  and  exact  number  can  never 
be  correctly  ascertained.  We  have  often  seen  this  great  change  in 
the  sailor  ! have  heard  his  groanings  under  a sense  of  his  sins  ; his 
rejoicings  under  a sense  of  sins  forgiven  ; his  prayers  for  his  ship- 
mates, and  for  his  own  soul,  and  his  songs  of  salvation  to  Him  who 
has  redeemed  him  from  death.  And  surely  the  songs  of  salvation 

* The  language  of  Jacob  is,  (Gen.  xlix.  13)  “Zebulun  shall  dwell  at  the  haven  of 
the  sea,  and  he  shall  be  for  an  haven  of  ships.”  And  Moses,  uniting  Issachar  with  Zeb- 
ulun, says,  (Deut.  xxxiii.  19)  “They  shall  call  the  people  unto  the  mountain;  there  they 
shall  offer  sacrifices  of  righteousness  : for  they  shall  suck  of  the  abundance  of  the  seas, 
and  of  treasures  hid  in  the  sand.”  By  the  phrase  mountain  in  the  above  passage,  is  doubt- 
less meant  the  “mountain  of  the  Lord,”  or  Mount  Zion.  Isa.  ii.  3,  Micah  iv.  2.  To 
this  mountain  they  would  call,  or  invite  “ the  people,”  or  nations  with  whom  they  should 
carry  on  commerce,  there  to  join  with  them  in  the  worship  of  the  true  God ; or  to  offer 
“ sacrifices  of  righteousness,”  instead  of  offering  to  dumb  idols,  the  abomination  of  the 
heathen.  Here,  then,  we  have  a class  of  men  spoken  of,  differing  in  their  employment 
from  all  other  men , and  who,  by  that  very  employment,  would  mingle  with  all  the  va- 
rious tribes  and  kindreds  of  men  who  did  not  know  the  true  God,  for  the  purposes,  as  it 
might  first  seem,  of  commerce  and  wealth  alone ; but  on  a more  close  inspection,  it 
seems  to  be  for  a different  purpose  that  they  “ dwell  at  the  haven  of  the  sea :” — To  “ call 
the  people  to  the  mountain”  of  the  Lord,  or  to  teach  the  nations  the  religion,  character, 
and  worship  of  the  God  of  heaven.  And  this  view  of  the  subject  appears  to  accord 
with  the  general  tenor  of  the  scriptures,  in  regard  to  the  higher  and  more  important 
ends  of  seamen. 

In  the  days  of  Solomon  commerce  was  carried  on  to  a considerable  extent  by  sea; 
and  it  is  pretty  evident  that  the  mariners  of  Zebulun  had  been  somewhat  faithful  and 
successful  in  spreading  among  the  seamen  of  other  nations  the  knowledge  of  Israel’s 
God,  and  of  calling  them  to  “ the  mountain  of  the  Lord,”  to  offer  there  the  “ sacrifices 
of  righteousness”  and  of  praise.  “ Solomon  made  a navy  of  ships  at  Ezion-geber,  on 
the  shore  of  the  Red  Sea,  in  the  land  of  Edom.  And  Hiram  sent  in  the  navy  his  ser- 
vants, shipmen  that  had  knowledge  of  the  sea,  with  the  servants  of  Solomon.”  1 Kings 
ix.  26,  27.  This  Hiram  was  king  of  Tyre  in  the  days  of  Solomon,  and  was  a worshipper 
of  the  God  of  Israel.  1 Kings  v.  1,  7.  Solomon  and  Hiram  appear  to  have  been  the 
most  cordial  friends  ; and  it  is  not  very  unlikely  that  the  knowledge  of  Israel’s  God  was 
first  communicated  to  the  Tyrians,  by  means  of  their  maritime  connexion  with  Zebulun, 
whose  “ border  was  upon  the  sea,”  and  who  had  a port  at  Zidon.  Between  Tyre  and 
Zidon  there  would,  almost  necessarily,  be  a constant  communication;  and  if  the  mari- 
ners of  Zebulun  were  at  all  faithful  to  then-  maritime  friends,  as  it  was  predicted  they 
should  be,  it  is  not  at  all  strange  that  we  find  such  a close  affinity  to  have  existed  between, 
not  only  Solomon  and  Hiram,  but  also  between  their  subjects.  And  if  sailors,  in  every 
age  of  the  world,  had  been  equally  faithful  to  their  God,  and  to  their  fellow  mariners, 
a very  different  moral  aspect  would  have  been  thrown  upon  the  world,  and  sailors 
would  have  been  a glory  and  a blessing  unto  all  lands. 


0 


sound  most  sweetly  from  tongues  which  have  so  long  been  used  al- 
most exclusively  in  blasphemy  against  God.  Facts  in  abundance 
have  settled  the  question  for  ever,  as  to  the  practicability  of  the  mo- 
ral and  religious  improvement  of  seamen.  They  can  as  well  be 
improved  in  morals  and  religion  as  any  other  class  of  men ! But 
“ some  man  will  say,” 

WHAT  PROFIT  WILL  THERE  BE  IN  IT? 

We  would  answer,  in  the  language  of  an  apostle  on  another  sub- 
ject : “ Much  every  way.’’  But  chiefly  in  the  commercial,  politi- 
cal, moral,  and  religious  influence  which  they  have  on  the  world. 
Grant  us  but  the  principle,  which  even  infidelity  herself  does  grant, 
that  “ the  principles  of  Bible  morality , if  lived  up  to,  are  better  cal- 
culated to  make  man  happy  in  the  present  life  than  any  other  sys- 
tem of  morals and  then,  we  say,  the  moral  and  religious  improve- 
ment of  seamen  must  be  of  great  and  commanding  importance, 
even  in  the  eyes  of  the  mere  man  of  the  wrorld. 

The  conversion  of  which  we  speak  is  important  in  a commercial 
point  of  view7.  Commerce  cau  never  be  carried  on  without  the  aid 
of  seamen.  In  this  view,  it  should  seem  that  no  commercial  man, 
who  regards  his  own  interest,  could  be  indifferent  to  the  moral  im- 
provement of  sailors ; and  if  the  subject  were  properly  view  ed,  no 
such  man  would  be  indifferent  to  it.  Every  man  feels  more  safety, 
and  advances  his  own  interest  more  surely,  by  committing  his  pro- 
perty to  the  hands  of  honest  men,  than  in  committing  it  to  the  hands 
of  rogues  and  swindlers.  Elevate  seamen  to  the  standard  of  mere 
Bible  morality,  and  you  make  them  men  of  the  strictest  honesty, 
who  will  regard  your  interest  as  they  regard  their  own ; elevate 
seamen  to  this  standard,  and  you  put  an  eud  to  all  mutinies,  in 
which  whole  cargoes  of  property,  and  often  many  valuable  lives, 
are  lost  at  once;  elevate  them  to  this  standard,  and  you  destroy 
more  effectually  the  appalling  evils  of  piracies,  than  by  all  other 
means  combined.  These  we  consider  self-evident  positions ; and 
in  view  of  them  we  may  ask,  what  commercial  man,  who  loves  his 
own  interest,  does  not  see  it  to  be  intimately  connected  w ith  the  moral 
improvement  of  sailors  ? And  will  he  not,  then,  aid  those  who  are 
engaged  to  accomplish  that  improvement  ? 

The  moral  improvement  of  seamen  is  important  in  a political 
point  of  light.  It  is  a given  principle,  tested  not  only  by  the  his- 
tory of  all  ages,  but  by  universal  fact,  that  moral  and  religious 
men  make  the  best  subjects  in  any  government.  It  is  also  no  less 
evident,  that  sailors  make  a most  important  class  of  men  in  every 
good  government  upon  earth.  In  every  case  of  a foreign  invasion, 
sailors  are  the  first  men  to  throw  themselves  between  the  invading 
foe  and  their  country’s  liberties.  Perhaps,  wise  politicians  have 
not  been  far  from  uttering  the  truth,  when  they  have  assured  us, 
that  “ it  is  not  saying  too  much  to  affirm,  that  both  England  and 


America,  at  this  moment,  owe  their  national  existence  to  their  sea- 
men.” And,  surely,  if  this  be  true,  these  nations  are  bound,  as 
nations,  to  aid  at  least  in  the  elevation  of  the  moral  character  of 
their  seamen. 

It  is  important  in  a moral  and  social  point  of  light.  Many  are 
the  instances  in  which  the  happiness  and  peace  of  the  social  and 
domestic  circle  have  been  marred  and  broken  up  by  the  immorality 
of  seamen.  And  it  will  be  evident,  that  the  moral  influence  of  sail- 
ors on  the  world,  must  of  necessity  be  very  great,  whether  that  in- 
fluence be  good  or  bad.  They  are  with  all  classes  of  men,  and  all 
sorts  of  men,  and  all  nations  of  men  under  the  whole  heaven ; and 
their  influence  must,  therefore,  be  astonishingly  great.  It  may, 
indeed,  be  invisible  to  the  partial  observer  in  its  operation  ; but,  like 
leaven,  it  is  silently,  and  at  the  same  time  most  effectually,  diflusing 
itself  into  the  entire  morality  of  the  world.  Their  influence,  in  a 
Christian  country,  is  more  immediately  felt  in  the  cities,  and  thence 
it  is  distributed  through  land,  so  that  there  is  scarcely  a 'town,  or 
village,  or  hamlet,  in  the  whole  country,  where  their  influence  is 
not  immediately  or  remotely  felt.  If  is  most  likely  true,  that  no 
class  of  men  in  our  world  besides,  have  so  wide  and  extended  an 
influence  on  its  morals  as  the  seamen.  The  weight  of  that  influ- 
ence at  present  is  evil,  “ only  evil,  and  that  continually.”  In  many 
parts  of  the  heathen  world,  it  is  absolutely  dreadful ; and  we  shall 
have  occasion,  in  another  place,  to  spread  out  a few  appalling 
facts  concerning  it.  Once  turn  this  influence  in  favour  of  morality 
and  virtue,  and  see  how  soon  there  would  be  an  entirely  different 
moral  aspect  on  the  face  of  the  world.  This  object  should  be 
sought  by  every  man,  (with  such  means  as  he  may  possess  to  ac- 
complish it,)  in  proportion  to  the  value  he  puts  on  the  virtue  and 
morality  of  his  country.  Heal  the  fountain,  and  you  renovate  the 
streams.  To  do  this  is  one  of  the  main  objects  of  “ The  American 
Seamen’s  Friend  Society,”  in  its  efforts  to  reform  the  system  of  sailor 
bearding— this  being,  in  its  estimation,  the  11  mother  sin ’’  in  the 
case,  it  being  prolific  of  all  others  among  these  men,  who  send  such 
a current  of  sin  and  misery  through  the  world. 

But  there  are  other  motives  which  should  bring  every  good  man, 
and  every  friend  of  man,  to  the  work  of  reforming  sailors.  We 
owe  them  much.  We  have  before  adverted  to  the  fact  of  their  be- 
ing a bulwark  of  defence  to  the  liberties  of  our  country.  It  is  also 
most  manifestly  true,  that  we  depend  on  them  for  most  of  our  luxu- 
ries, and  for  many  of  the  necessaries  of  life.  Look  upon  your 
table  ! and  then  into  your  wardrobe ! and  see  how  many  articles 
you  can  discover  there,  which  has  been  provided  for  your  comfort, 
or  convenience,  by  the  sailors’  toils,  privations,  and  sufferings  ? 
Some  of  these  very  articles  may  have  come  to  your  convenience 
at  no  less  expense  to  some  poor  sailor  than  the  loss  of  his  life, 
and  to  his  family  the  loss  of  a husband  and  a father ! And  can 


8 


you  set  quietly  down  to  the  enjoyment  of  them,  while  as  yet  yotr 
have  done  nothing  to  prepare  the  sailor  for  a happy  immor- 
tality ? You  depend  upon  the  seamen  for  a very  great  propor- 
tion of  your  most  invaluable  information  concerning  other  parts 
of  the  world.  Indeed,  we  had  never  been  in  possession  of  this 
goodly  land,  but  for  the  enterprise  and  hazard  of  seamen.  We 
all  know  that  without  the  aid  of  these  men,  the  ocean  forms  an  im- 
passable and  eternal  barrier  between  us  and  every  other  part  of  the 
globe ; and  to  this  little  portion  would  our  knowledge  of  it  be 
confined,  were  there  no  seamen  to  “ tempt  the  dangers  of  the  sea,” 
and  bring  us  information  from  a quarter  to  which  we  must  for  ever 
have  been  strangers  without  them.  Gratitude,  then,  it  should  seem, 
would  prompt  almost  every  man  spontaneously  to  put  forth  his 
helping  hand  to  raise  up  the  sailor  from  his  degraded  situation. 
Now,  in  view  of  these  facts  alone,  we  do  not  know  how  a man  can 
be  indifferent  to  the  moral  improvement  of  seamen,  and  at  the  same 
time  be  a lover,  either  of  his  fellow-men  or  of  his  country.  With- 
out a knowledge  of  the  subject,  he  may  doubtless  be  indifferent  to 
the  cause  of  seamen,  and  yet  possess  these  virtues  ; but  when  it  is 
once  made  known  to  him,  even  in  its  influence  on  the  political  and 
civil  concerns  of  man,  we  do  feel  that  the  love  of  man,  and  the  love 
of  country,  will  impel  every  man  possessing  them,  in  some  way  at 
least,  to  put  his  hand  to  the  work  of  improving  the  morals  and 
saving  the  souls  of  sailors. 

There  is  also  a marked 

RELIGIOUS  IMPORTANCE 

in  the  conversion  of  seamen,  which  must  not  be  passed  in  silence. 
It  is  intimately  connected  with  the  prosperity  of  missions  abroad, 
and  the  salvation  of  the  heathen.  No  missionaries  could  be  sent 
to  the  “ islands  of  the  sea,”  or  to  the  “ far  distant  coasts,”  without 
seamen  ; nor  could  any  supplies  be  sent  to  them,  neither  any  re- 
turns be  received  from  them,  without  the  same  aid.  Indeed,  com- 
munication of  every  kind,  and  on  every  subject,  would  be  entirely 
and  for  ever  cut  off  between  us  and  them,  were  there  no  seamen  to 
traverse  the  trackless  ocean.  It  w ould,  too,  be  some  alleviation  to 
the  sufferings  of  the  missionaries,  and  soften  many  of  the  pangs 
which  they  feel  on  leaving  their  friends,  their  homes,  and  their  fire- 
sides, to  go  to  an  unknown  country,  and  among  a people  of  an 
unknow  n tongue,  to  preach  the  salvation  of  Christ,  could  they  once 
find  in  every  sailor  a Christian  brother,  instead  of  a thoughtless, 
blaspheming  sinner.  And  how  greatly  would  their  burdens  be 
lightened,  on  their  arrival  among  the  heathen,  could  they  find  in 
every  seaman  a helper  in  the  work  of  the  Lord,  instead  of  an 
enemy,  to  waste  and  destroy?  It  is  certainly  and  obviously  true, 
that  sailors,  if  generally  pious,  would  be  the  most  active  and  pow- 
erful auxiliaries  to  foreign  missions  of  almost  any  men  in  the  world 


9 


But,  generally  vicious  and  abandoned,  as  they  now  are,  they ’throw 
innumerable  and  constant  hindrances  in  the  way  of  their  progress, 
and  do  more  to  prejudice  the  minds  of  the  heathen  against  the 
Christian  religion,  than  all  other  men  besides.  Is  this  doubted  ? 
Whence,  then,  let  it  be  asked,  has  originated  in  the  heathen’s  mind, 
that  universal  contempt  and  hatred  of  the  Christian  name  ? Not 
simply  in  the  fact,  that  his  “ heart  is  deceitful  above  all  things,  and 
desperately  wicked,”  for  that  is  equally  true  of  every  other  sinner. 
Nor  yet  is  it  because  he  has  investigated  the  Christian  revelation, 
and  found  it  only  a system  of  imposition  and  falsehood  ; for  he  has 
had  no  opportunity  to  make  this  investigation ; certainly  not,  till 
within  a few  years  past.  And  as  far  as  opportunity  has  been  given, 
and  the  investigation  made,  it  has  served  greatly  to  soften  the  as- 
perity of  his  feelings  towards  the  Christian  name  and  Christian  na- 
tions. No,  no  ! the  heathen  hates  the  Christian  n$tme  for  other, 
and  better  reasons  than  these ! He  has  been  swindled  and  op- 
pressed, robbed  and  spoiled  evermore,  of  all  that  was  dear  to  him, 
by  men  bearing  its  name. 

The  heathen  world,  from  days  immemorial,  has  possessed  little 
or  no  knowledge  of  Christianity,  or  of  Christians,  save  what  they 
have  learned  of  wicked  and  abandoned  seamen,  or  from  traffickers 
in  merchandise,  and  in  “ slaves  and  souls  of  men,”  whom  they  have 
borne  along  with  them,  more  brutal  and  wicked  than  themselves. 
In  what  light  must  the  heathen  have  viewed  the  Christian  religion 
when, 

“ Freighted  with  curses  was  the  harque  that  bore 
The  sailors  of  the  West  to  India’s  shore.” 

And  when,  before  these  Christians,  their  country  was  “ as  the  gar- 
den of  Eden,”  and  behind  them  a desolate  wilderness  ? What, 
when  they  came  among  them  but  for  purposes  of  plunder,  ra- 
pine, and  death  ! and  seemed  only  to  be  governed  by  the  principle 
that  “ power  is  right  !”  They  have  judged  of  the  religion  by 
the  character  exhibited  to  them  in  the  men  who  bore  its  name. 
And  why  should  they  not,  so  long  as  they  had  no  other  data  by 
which  to  form  a judgment  f When  urged  to  embrace  the  Christian 
religion,  they  have  often  met  the  missionary  man  of  God  with  some 
terrible  retort  like  the  following  : “ We  have  learned  most  of  our 
degrading  vices  from  the  Christians ! we  never  knew  any  thing  about 
ardent  spirits  and  drunkenness  till  we  learned  it  from  the  Christians  ; 
uncleanness,  too,  was  almost  unknown  among  us  till  we  were  visited 
by  Christian  intriguers  ; and  we  were  united,  and  comparatively 
happy,  among  ourselves,  till  these  Christians  came  among  us. 
Would  you,  then,  have  us  exchange  a religion  under  whose  influ- 
ence we  were  comparatively  happy,  for  one  which  has  introduced 
among  us  so  many  and  such  incalculable  evils  ?”  What  could  the 
man  of  God  answer  to  an  argument  of  this  sort  ? He  could  only 

B 


10 


tgil  them  that  these,  and  all  such  men,  were  Christians  only  in  name  ; 
and  that  the  Christian  religion  condemns,  in  the  strongest  manner, 
every  such  practice.  But  how  was  the  heathen  to  know  this  ? He 
had  not  been  favoured  with  the  better  traits  of  the  Christian  cha- 
racter ; and,  above  all,  he  had  never  seen  the  record  of  Christianity, 
in  which  its  doctrines  and  duties  are  delineated.  He,  therefore, 
had  no  way  to  judge  of  the  religion  but  by  the  lives  and  conduct 
of  the  men  who  bore  its  name,  and  hence  he  had  formed  an  inve- 
terate and  implacable  hatred,  even  of  the  very  name  of  a Christian, 
and  an  abhorrence  of  the  Christian  religion.  And  for  him  there 
was  some  shade  of  palliation ; but  for  men  among  ourselves,  who 
have  opportunities  to  see  some  of  the  better  traits  of  Christian  cha- 
racter, and  to  examine  the  Christian  revelation  for  themselves  ; for 
such  men  to  attribute  the  faults  of  Christian  professors  to  Christianity 
itself,  is  a disingenuousness,  and  a crime,  for  which  there  can  be 
no  excuse,  or  even  circumstance  pleaded  in  extenuation.  It  is  a 
deliberate  and  known  slander  on  the  Christian  religion.  This, 
however,  cannot  be  said  of  the  heathen.  For  aught  that  the}7  knew, 
these  wicked  men,  bearing  the  Christian  name,  who  were  dealing 
death  both  to  their  bodies  and  souls,  and  spreading  desolation 
through  all  their  habitations,  were  acting  according  to  the  spirit  of 
the  Christian  religion  ! and  do  you  marvel  that  they  abhor  its 
name?  Turn  the  tables,  then,  and  suppose  that  a class  of  men, 
under  a given  name,  had  from  time  immemorial  visited  your  shores, 
pillaged  your  country,  burned  up  your  cities,  robbed  you  of  your 
treasures  by  treachery  and  deceit,  and  had  carried  your  sons  and 
vour  daughters,  your  fathers  and  mothers,  your  brothers  and  sisters, 
into  a distant  and  unknown  land,  as  bond  men  and  bond  women 
tell  me,  I pray  you,  would  you  not  abhor  that  name,  and  teach 
your  children,  as  soon  as  they  could  lisp  it,  to  abhor  it  also  ? Such, 
however,  to  an  alarming  extent,  has  been  the  abhorred  practice  of 
seamen,  and  men  associated  with  them,  bearing  the  Christian  name, 
among  the  heathen  ! This  has  fixed  a most  deep-rooted  and  fatal 
prejudice  in  heathen  minds  against  Christianity  And  how  is  this 
prejudice  to  be  removed?  Your  missionaries  can  do  but  little  to- 
wards it  at  most ; and  that  little  is  greatly  retarded  by  the  destruc- 
tive influence  of  wicked  seamen  at  this  moment.  When  the  mis- 
sionaries come  to  feel  the  fatal  effects  of  this  influence,  it  is  no  mar- 
vel that  they  send  back  a cry  from  heathen  lands  to  the  Christian 
churches  : “ If  you  wish  the  Gospel  extensively  to  prevail  among 
the  heathen,  convert  your  seamen  ; for  they  now  pull  down  nearly 
as  fast  as  all  your  missionaries  can  build  up.”  This  admonition 
from  the  missionaries  of  the  cross,  should  be  regarded  and  acted 
upon  by  the  Christian  churches  ; for  it  is  an  unquestionable  truth, 
that  seamen  from  Christian  lands  are  at  this  moment  the  greatest 
and  most  fatal  hindrances  to  the  progress  of  civilization  and  Chris- 


11 


tianity  among  Pagans  in  every  part  of  the  world.*  So  long,  there- 
fore, as  sailors  are  in  morals  what  they  are  at  present,  and  so  long 
as  their  terrible  example  in  the  heathen  world  continues  what  it  now 
is,  the  progress  of  civilization  and  religion  among  them  must,  from 

* The  truth  of  this  remark  will  at  the  first  view  be  perfectly  obvious  to  those  who 
have  at  all  investigated,  and  are  acquainted  with  the  subject.  There  are  many  facts, 
however,  which  might  be  brought  to  illustrate  and  confirm  the  truth  of  it ; a few  only 
of  which  can  be  mentioned  in  the  small  compass  of  a note.  That  this  pernicious  influ- 
ence of  seamen  from  Christian  countries,  has  a most  deleterious  effect  upon  the  entire 
pagan  world,  is  proved  from  almost  every  trait  of  history  in  relation  to  that  subject. 
There  is  scarcely  an  item  in  the  whole  catalogue  of  crime  which  has  not  marked  their 
course  in  every  quarter  of  the  globe.  The  traffickers  in  slaves  alone,  have  done  more  .to 
demoralize  the  world,  and  probably  more  to  blunt  the  tenderer  sensibilities  of  the  hu- 
man heart,  than  any  other  single  class  of  men,  who  have  ever  disgraced  the  name  of 
man.  Think  of  its  natural  efiect,  and  then  ask, — where  has  not  this  effect  been  felt? — 
But  all  this  has  been  carried  on  by  the  aid  of  wicked  unprincipled  seamen,  and  without 
them,  it  could  never  to  any  considerable  extent,  have  existed.  The  generality  of  sea- 
men from  Christian  lands,  in  all  their  journeyings  find  “no  race  of  heatfien,  so  gross 
and  sensual,  but  that  they  gladly  make  one  of  their  company,  and  proclaim  in  every 
kingdom  and  in  every  climate  they  visit,  that  the  maritime  inhabitants  of  Christian  coun- 
tries are  as  much  in  need  of  christianizing,  as  ar.y  heathen  can  be.”  This  is  the  testi- 
mony of  one  who  had  long  been  accustomed  to  see  and  bear  it  all.  The  following  fact, 
related  by  a captain  from  the  port  of  New-York,  who  was  an  eye  witness  to  it,  we  have 
been  assured  is  but  too  frequent  an  occurrence  in  heathen  lands.  About  two  or  three 
years  ago,  in  the  port  of  Canton  in  China,  a number  of  British  and  American  seamen, 
on  a certain  Sabbath  got  liberty  to  go  on  shore.  In  a little  time  they  got  about  half  drunk, 
and  became  so  excessively  riotous,  that  the  Chinese  were  obliged  to  set  an  extra  guard, 
and  order  an  armed  force,  on  the  Christian  Sabbath,  to  keep  Christians  in  any  thing  like 
decent  order,  according  to  the  heathen’s  views  of  order.  What  an  influence  such  a fact 
must  have  upon  the  mind  of  the  heathen  ! And  what  can  they  think  of  a religion,  about 
which  they  know  little  or  nothing,  but  what  they  see  in  the  lives  of  such  men  bearing 
its  name  ? 

In  the  Sandwich  Islands  a scene  has  but  recently  taken  place,  which  it  would  seem 
should  open  the  eyes  of  a slumbering  world  on  the  importance  of  christianizing  seamen. 
In  their  joint  letter,  under  date  of  Oct.  15,  1S25,  the  missionaries  when  they  come  to 
speak  on  the  subject  of  seamen,  make  the  following  statement.  “ We  are  liable  to  be 
insulted  and  persecuted  by  murderous  mobs  of  unprincipled  seamen,  who  hate  the  light, 
and  would  gladly  put  it  out,  and  through  whose  rage  at  the  recent  improvements,  our 
lives  are  in  jeopardy.  We  have  here  touched  on  a point  which  will  doubtless  cause 
some  excitement  in  England  and  America.  And  it  is  now,  perhaps,  too  late  to  attempt 
to  conceal  the  enormities  among  those  who  traverse  the  Pacific,  which  have  filled  us  with 
disgust  and  indignation,  from  the  period  of  our  arrival  at  these  islands.  Nor  is  it  ne- 
cessary to  conceal  names,  lest  there  should  not  appear  a proper  distinction  between  the 
precious  and  the  vile.  The  riotous  crew  of  the  whale-ship  Daniel,  Capt.  Buckle,  having 
the  countenance  and  example  of  then-  master,  purchasing  for  a sum  of  money  a female 
slave,  and  carrying  her  as  the  inmate  of  his  cabin  during  bis  late  cruise,  were,  on  their 
recent  return  to  Lahaina.  enraged  at  the  tabu  prohibiting  females  from  visiting  the  ships, 
and  after  repeated  insults  and  threats  to  N 1 r.  Richards.  left  the  ship  in  a body,  and  land- 
ed in  three  boatc  under  a black  flag,  and  armed  nith  knives,  surrounded  the  house  of 
Mr.  Richards,  with  most  abusive  threats,  and  seemed  determined  to  have  his  life,  or  his 
consent  for  females  to  go  on  board — the  former  of  which  he  would  have  surrendered 
first.  When  one  of  the  crew  stabbed  twice  at  a native  who  kept  the  gate,  the  chief  im- 
mediately called. out  an  armed  force  to  resist  them,  and  they  are  obliged  to  keep  a strong 
guard  of  armed  natives  around  the  house,  by  day  and  by  night,  to  protect  their  mission- 
ary from  the  murderous  assaults  of  Christian  Seamen.  That  the  master  of  the  ship 
allowed  this  outrage,  is  to  us  evident,  from  his  note  to  Mr.  Richards  the  evening  before  ; 
when  Mr.  R-  requested  him  to  come  on  shore,  on  account  of  bis  apprehensions  from 
the  craw,  he  replied  that,  “he  could  not  control  them  on  shore — that  they  left  the  ship 
with  a determination  not  to  return  without  bringing  women  on  board,  and  that  Mr.  R. 
had  better  let  them  come  off,  and  then  all  would  be  quietness.”  About  twenty'  seamen  re- 
cently came  to  our  doors,  to  demand  the  reason  why  they  could  not  have  women  as  for- 
merly. We  could  only  say,  “it  is  forbidden  by  the  word  of  God,  and  prohibited  by  the 


the  very  circumstances  of  the  case,  be  exceedingly'slow.  And’we 
do  think,  taking  things  as  they  are.  that  the  progress  of  the  Gos- 
pel in  Pagan  lands  has  been  most  astonishingly  great ; and  forms 
no  inconsiderable  argument  in  favour  of  its  divine  original.  Let 
the  infidel  tell  us  what  but  its  own  intrinsic  excellence  and  power, 
has  given  it  such  an  astonishing  and  transforming  influence  over 
minds  so  strongly  prejudiced  against  it,  when  at  the  same  time  that 
prejudice  had  so  many  circumstantial  facts  to  confirm  and  strengthen 
it?  How  is  this  to  be  accounted  for  but  upon  the  fact,  that  it  is  in 
truth  what  it  claims  to  be,  “ the  glorious  Gospel  of  the  blessed 
God  ?”  That  its  progress  has  been  what  we  have  affirmed,  is  ma- 
nifest from  the  truth,  that  within  a very  few  years  it  has,  notwith- 
standing all  its  hindrances,  gained  an  almost  absolute  ascendancy 
over  whole  islands  and  provinces,  and  their  dumb  idols,  which  could 
“ neither  hear  nor  save,”  have  been  thrown  “ to  the  moles  and  the 
bats,”  and  the  God  of  heaven  been  acknowledged  and  worshipped 
as  the  only  saving  God.  And  what  are  we  to  suppose  would  have 
been  its  progress  among  the  same  class  of  men,  had  they  seen 
among  the  men  who  bore  the  Christian  name,  nothing  but  that  spi- 
rit of  holiness  and  love  which  the  Gospel  requires  ? Suppose  that 
all  the  seamen  who  have  ever  visited  their  shores  from  Christian 
lands,  instead  of  being  profane,  drinking,  riotous  and  lewd  men, 
had  been  men  of  strict  honesty  and  integrity,  men  of  sober  and  in- 
dustrious habits,  men  of  chaste  conversation  and  conduct,  men  of 
clean  lips  and  a pure  heart,  and  men  of  prayer  and  holiness  of  life  ; 
what  are  we  to  suppose  would  have  been  the  result  ? God’s  praise 
would  have  been  sung  and  his  glorj7  declared  in  the  islands,  and  in 
the  far  distant  coasts  ; the  prejudices  of  the  heathen  against  the 
Christian  religion  would  have  been  dissipated,  and  the  world  pro- 
bably filled  with  the  knowledge  and  glory  of  the  Lord ; for  such. 

tabu  of  the  chiefs.”  Satan  is  making  a great  effort  to  oppose  the  progress  of  onr  work, 
and  will  not  our  friends  make  as  vigorous  an  effort  to  support  it  ? Once  we  thought  a 
single  couple  would  be  exposed  to  insult  from  the  natives ; now  the  natives  are  a defence 
against  lawless  foreigners,  to  whose  violence  we  are  all  exposed.  \\  e are  happy  to  repeat 
here  what  Mr.  It.  says,  that  ‘ the  American  ships  do  not  molest  him,’  though  some  of 
the  Americans  declare  boldly  against  the  tabu.  Mr.  R.  says,  in  a hasty  line  written 
about  the  time  his  house  was  attacked,  ‘ We  are  alive,  though  an  hour  ago  we  expected 
nothing  but-  immediate  death.’  These  are  among  our  trials  of  the  present  day.”  This  nar- 
rative reminds  us  of  the  testimony  of  the  Rev.  R.  Marks,  on  the  general  character  of  sea- 
men, both  in  heathen  and  in  Christian  lands  , and  his  competency  as  to  knowledge  of  facts 
no  man  will  question  who  knows  his  history.  He  says.  “ profaneness  and  licentiousness,  as 
master  sins,  seize  on  and  claim  them  for  their  prey,  until  every  sense  of  virtue,  if  they 
ever  had  any,  every  feeling  of  delicacy,  every  apprehension  of  judgment,  every  idea  of 
God,  and  of  an  accountableness  to  his  divine  majesty,  are  obliterated,  or  at  least  are 
such  that  few  heathen  can  excel  in,  for  grossness  and  criminality.  The  oaths  and  exe- 
crations of  seamen  are  of  such  a degrading,  satanic,  and  blaspheming  kind,  as  no  other 
description  of  men  have  ever  used.  The  heathen,  I believe,  have  never  invented  such 
expressions  ; they  are  such  as  no  moral  and  reflecting  man  can  hear  or  recollect  without 
horror  and  trembling; — would  to  God  I could  forever  lose  all  recollection  of  them!” 
Who  then  destroy  the  heathen  more  rapidly  and  surely  than  the  seamen  by  such  exam- 
ples?— And  who  can  tell  the  extent  of  this  moral  pestilence  in  pagan  lands  : 


13 


according  to  scripture  prophecy,  will  be  the  fact,  when  the  seamen 
of  our  world  shall  be  converted,  and  become  the  willing  and  active 
servants  of  Jesus  Christ.  Surely,  then,  the  conversion  of  “ the 
abundance  of  the  sea”  is  important  for  the  prosperity  of  missions 
and  the  salvation  of  the  heathen. 

The  conversion  of  seamen  is  important,  because  their  own  salva- 
tion depends  upon  it.  That  this  is  true  is  as  certain  as  that  the 
word  of  God  is  true,  when  it  declares  that  no  man  shall  inherit  his 
kingdom  unless  he  be  converted.  The  salvation  of  the  seaman,  be 
he  ever  so  degraded  and  vile,  is  notwithstanding  as  important  to 
him  as  the  salvation  of  the  wealthy  and  honourable  man  is  to  him ; 
and  for  aught  that  we  can  tell,  Christ  may  be  as  much  honoured  by  it. 
Let  any  Christian  ask  himself,  what  he  can  see  in  the  salvation  of  a 
heathen  more  important  than  he  can  in  the  salvation  of  a seaman  ? or 
what  more  important  to  himself  in  his  own  salvation  than  to  the  sailor 
in  his  salvation  ? or  yet  again,  let  him  ask  whether  he  can  see  any  rea- 
on  why  the  Saviour  of  mankind  may  not  be  as  much  honoured  in  the 
kingdom  of  glory,  by  raising  up  the  most  degraded  among  the  sailors 
to  a throne  of  glory  in  the  heavens,  as  in  raising  him  to  that  throne  ? 
And  if  he  cannot,  why  is  he  not  bound  by  the  very  principles  of 
that  Christianity  on  which  he  rests  his  immortal  hopes,  to  consider 
the  salvation  of  the  seamen  an  object  of  as  much  importance  in  the 
kingdom  of  God,  as  is  his  own  salvation?  What  reason,  then,  can 
he  give  to  God  and  his  own  conscience,  for  devoting  all  his  time, 
and  all  his  means,  to  other  things,  and  leaving  the  sailors  to  perish 
in  their  sins,  without  any  alleviation  from  him  ? And  what  a meet- 
ing must  such  an  one  have  with  these  men  at  the  last  judgment, 
when  the  “ sea  shall  give  up  the  dead  that  are  in  it  ?”  But,  above 
all,  how  can  he  meet  a righteous  judge  in  peace,  when  he  has  known 
the  case,  and  yet  shut  his  hand  and  heart  against  the  call,  and  re- 
fused to  make  one  effort  to  save  the  guilty  sailor  from  the  “ dam- 
nation of  hell  ?” 

The  conversion  of  seamen  is  important  for  the  ushering  in  of 
the  millennial  day  of  glory  to  the  Church.  Prophets  have  predict- 
ed, that  all  the  nations  of  men  shall  adore  the  living  God,  and  ho- 
nour and  serve  his  Church  ; and  that  the  nations  that  will  not  do  it 
shall  be  destroyed  and  utterly  w'asted  ; that  the  Church  shall  pos- 
sess the  riches  and  honours  of  the  world  ; and  that  she  shall  be 
“ an  eternal  excellency that  violence  and  destruction  shall  be 
heard  or  known  in  her  no  more  ; that  her  people  shall  be  all  righte- 
ous, and  that  the  days  of  her  mourning  shall  be  ended  ; that  she 
shall  have  double  joy  for  all  her  sorrows  of  former  times ; that  the 
knowledge  of  the  Lord  shall  cover  the  earth  as  the  water  covers  the 
sea ; that  there  shall  be  nothing  in  or  about  her  to  hurt  or  destroy  ; 
that  Christ  himself  shall  reign  on  the  earth,  and  that  his  saints  shall 
reign  with  him  a thousand  years.  From  these  words  of  inspiration;, 
poets  have  caught  the  theme,  and  sung, 


14 


“Jesus  shall  reign  where’er  the  sun 
Does  his  successive  journeys  run  ; 

His  kingdom  stretch  from  shore  to  shore,  * 

Till  moons  shall  wax  and  wane  no  more.” — Watts. 

“ One  song  employs  all  nations  ; and  all  sing, 

Worthy  the  Lamb,  for  he  was  slain  for  us.” 

“ The  dwellers  in  the  vales  and  on  the  rocks 
Shout  to  each  other,  and  the  mountain  tops 
From  distant  mountains  catch  the  flying  joy  ; 

Till  nation  after  nation  taught  the  strain, 

Earth  rolls  the  rapturous  hosanna  round.” — Cowpew. 

Not  only  have  prophets  and  poets  desired  to  see  such  a happv 
state  of  things  in  this  miserable  world,  but  it  has  also  been  the  song 
of  all  the  righteous  in  the  house  of  their  pilgrimage,  and  the  theme 
of  their  most  constant  and  ardent  prayers  in  all  ages.  Such  a day, 
then,  will  come,  if  the  spirit  of  truth  has  not  erred  both  in  judg- 
ment and  in  vision  ; and  if  the  expectations  and  hopes  of  the  pious 
in  all  ages  have  not  deceived  them.  But  it  can  never  come,  let 
what  will  be  done  to  effect  it,  until  the  seamen  are  converted. 
Saints  may  pray  for  it,  and  expect  its  arrival  from  (lie  progress  of 
the  Gospel  in  the  earth  ; but  still  it  must  be  manifest,  that  with  mil- 
lions of  unprincipled  and  ungodly  seamen  in  the -world,  it  can  never 
become  “ an  altar  of  universal  praise  to  God  and  the  Lamb.”  In 
proportion,  then,  as  Christians  desire  that  eventful  day,  let  them 
turn  some  of  their  thoughts  and  alms  towards  the  conversion  of 
ei  the  abundance  of  the  sea ;”  and  thus  use  the  proper  means  to 
raise  up  a set  of  the  most  efficient  instruments  to  carry  abroad  the 
salvation  of  God,  and  to  fill  the  world  with  his  glory. 

The  conversion  of  seamen  is  religiously  important  in  the  effects 
it  will  have  upon  the  Christian  church.  That  it  will  have  a happy 
and  extensive  influence  on  the  world  at  large,  we  think  has  been 
sufficiently  proved.  That  it  will  have  an  equally  extensive  and 
happy  influence  on  the  church  is  quite  as  clear,  if  we  do  not  mis- 
understand the  meaning  of  the  prophet ; and  this  consideration 
should  form  no  inconsiderable  argument  in  favour  of  extensive  and 
powerful  efforts  to  effect  it.  In  the  prophet  Isa.  lx,  5,  God  says  to 
his  church,  “ Thou  shralt  see,  and  flow  together,  and  thine  heart 
shall  fear  and  be  enlarged,  because  the  abundance  of  the  sea  shall 
be  converted  unto  thee.”  Four  things  here  mentioned  are  pecu- 
liarly to  mark  the  glorious  state  of  the  Church  ; and  they  are  said 
to  be  the  result  of  the  conversion  of  seamen.  The  first  is,  that  the 
church  shall  see  many  things  in  a different  and  more  clear  lieht 
than  she  has  ever  done  before.  “ Thou  shalt  see as  it  she  had 
been  comparatively  blind  on  many  important  points  of  her  duty  : 
or,  at  least,  that  she  had  not  seen  them  clearly.  The  same  idea  is 
expressed  in  another  passage,  in  allusion  to  the  same  day.  Isa. 
xxxii,  3.  “ The  eyes  of  them  that  see  shall  not  be  dim  as  if  they 

had  seen  many  important  things  but  very  indistinctly  : and  the  im- 


15 


portance  of  the  influence  of  seamen  is  clearly  one  of  those  things. 
Another  effect  of  the  conversion  of  seamen,  will  be  an  enlargement 
of  heart.  “ Thine  heart  shall  be  enlarged,  because,  &c.”  Chris- 
tians have  not  been,  and  at  this  moment  are  not  generally  celebrated 
for  this  virtue.  The  narrowness  and  selfishness  of  the  views,  plans,, 
and  feelings  of  most  Christians  on  all  objects  of  benevolence,  are 
a sufficient  proof  of  it ; but  when  their  heart  is  enlarged,  they  will 
feel,  and  pray,  and  give,  and  act  more  for  the  cause  of  Christ,  and 
for  the  souls  of  their  fellow  men,  than  they  have  ever  yet  done. 
The  world  will  be  viewed  as  it  ought  to  be,  and  the  kingdom  of 
God  and  his  righteousness  will  be  first  and  supremely  sought  by 
them.  Another  effect  will  be  an  increase  of  the  fear  of  God. 
“ Thine  heart  shall  fear,”  8cc.  This  fear  will  "be  a fear  to  offend 
God  by  a life  of  disobedience  ; a fear  to  speculate  when  and  w'here 
they  should  be  content  with  believing.  Such  fear  will  proportion- 
ably  increase  the  love  of  God  : love  to  his  person,  law's,  character, 
and  dispensations.  These  virtues  perfected,  constitutes  the  perfec- 
tion of  the  Christian  character ! humility  perfected  in  the  soul  of 
man. 

The  last  effect  on  the  church  which  we  shall  notice,  as  contained 
in  the  above  passage,  is  a union  or  flowing  together.  “ Thou  shalt 
see,  and  flow  together,  because  the  abundance  of  the  sea  shall  be 
converted  unto  thee.”  In  this  light  such  a conversion  must  appear 
immensely  important : for  it  is  lamentably  true,  that  Christians,  and 
Christian  churches,  have  been  as  little  celebrated  for  union,  fellow- 
ship, and  fellow  feeling,  as  for  any  one  virtue  which  belongs  to  the 
Christian  character.  This  is  sufficiently  proved  by  the  terrible 
divisions  which  have  wasted  the  Church  in  all  ages,  and  divided  it 
into  various  sects,  differing  and  contending  with  each  other.  None 
among  them  all  have  been  contented  with  building  up  themselves 
from  those  who  were  without  God  in  the  world,  but  have  laboured 
more  abundantly  to  build  themselves  by  the  ruin  of  others;  and  to 
accomplish  this,  art,  intrigue,  misrepresentation,  falsehood,  and  even, 
force,  have  been  resorted  to  as  fit  instruments  in  their  pious  war- 
fare. These  contending  Christians  have  often  kindled  the  flames 
of  w ar,  and  wasted  the  w'orld  with  fire  and  sword  ! Brother  has 
been  divided  against  brother,  father  against  son,  and  a man’s  foes 
of  the  worst  sort,  have  often  been  those  of  his  own  household. 
Nowt,  whatever  will  have  a tendency  to  break  down  this  spirit  of 
division,  and  present  the  whole  church  as  one  united,  holy,  and  happy 
family,  must  be  of  immense  importance,  not  only  to  the  Church 
itself,  but  also  to  the  world.  This  effect  the  spirit  of  inspiration 
assures  us  the  conversion  of  seamen  will  have  ; and  should,  there- 
fore, be  sought  by  us  with  all  the  ardour  which  we  feel  for  the  peace 
of  the  Church,  or  for  the  happiness  of  the  world.  That  their  con- 
version would  have  this  effect  seems  natural  enough  to  suppose, 

• 


from  the  marked  character  of  the  men  themselves.  The  sailor  is 
naturally,  or  from  habits  of  association,  a noble,  open-hearted, 
frank,  and  friendly  man,  who  in  every  sailor  meets  a brother  ; and 
the  instances  are  rare  in  which  the  bigoted  sectary  is  found  to  be  a 
sailor.  It  would  seem  difficult  when  he  becomes  a partaker  of  the 
grace  of  God,  to  narrow  his  noble  mind  down  to  the  littleness  of 
the  sectator’s  views.  He  is,  by  his  employment,  a citizen  of  the 
world  ; and  now  he  has  become  a citizen  of  Zion  in  the  world. 
That  the  labours  for  the  salvation  of  seamen  have  already  had  the 
effect,  to  soften  the  asperity  of  party  feeling  among  the  individuals 
who  have  been  employed  in  it,  must  be  manifest  to  every  observer. 
The  very  name  of  their  signal  for  worship  is  “ Bethel  Union;"  and 
union  will  mark  the  progress  of  their  conversion,  till  in  all  the 
world,  and  among  all  the  saints  there  shall  be  a sweet  and  happy 
“ flowing  together  till 

“ The  churches  warm'd,  they  would  no  longer  hold 
Such  frozen  figures,  stiff  as  they  are  cold  ; 

Relenting  forms  would  lose  their  power,  or  cease  ; 

And  e’en  the  dipp’d  and  sprinkl’d  live  in  peace  : 

Each  heart  would  quit  its  prison  in  the  breast, 

And  flow  in  free  communion  with  the  rest.” — Cowper. 

Such  a state  of  things  would  present  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ 
in  its  own  pure  light,  and  take  away  its  reproach  from  the  minds  of 
the  heathen  abroad,  and  infidels  at  home,  more  than  all  other  things 
combined.  Then  should  Zion  “ look  forth  as  the  morning,  fair  as 
the  moon,  clear  as  the  sun,’’  and  to  all  her  enemies  and  opposers 
“ terrible  as  an  army  with  banners.”  And  if  the  general  conver- 
sion of  seamen  will  very  greatly  tend  to  these  results,  (and  if  there 
be  truth  in  the  word  of  God,  or  in  obvious  matter  of  fact,  who  can 
doubt  it?)  then  it  must  surely  be  an  object  of  paramount  import- 
ance, both  to  the  patriot  and  the  Christian,  to  make  every  effort 
speedily  to  accomplish  the  conversion  of  seamen  ? 

In  this  place  the  natural  inquiry  seems  to  be, 

WHAT  MUST  BE  DONE  TO  EFFECT  IT? 

In  general  it  may  be  replied,  they  must  have  the  same  means  that 
other  men  have  to  make  them  virtuous  and  holy.  They  are  men, 
and  require  much  the  same  moulding  and  cultivation  as  other  men. 
But  to  be  more  particular  : there  is  much  instruction  necessary  to 
be  given  in  order  extensively  to  effect  their  conversion.  There  is 
among  sailors  generally,  a most  lamentable  degree  of  ignorance  on 
almost  every  subject  connected  with  their  moral  improvement  and 
highest  destiny.  There  are  many  among  them  who  cannot  read  at 
all.  For  all  such,  and  for  many  of  their  children,  schools  of  ele- 
mentary instruction  should  be  established  in  every  large  sea-port 
throughout  the  world.  Most  of  those  who  can  read  have  access  to 
few  books  but  such  as  are  calculated  to  destroy  both  their  bodies 


17 


and  tlieir  souls.*  With  all  such,  the  place  of  the  song  and  the  jest 
books  should  be  supplied  by  such  works  of  instruction  and  taste, 
as  would  serve  to  enlighten  the  mind  on  man’s  highest  destinies 
and  most  important  duties,  while  at  the  same  time  they  would  serve 
as  amusement  and  recreation  for  their  leisure  hours.  Sailors,  in  a 
great  measure,  and  for  a long  time,  have  been  considered  and  treat- 
ed as  outcasts  from  reputable  society;  and  they  must  be  elevated 
and  raised,  in  the  estimation  and  treatment  of  the  community,  to 
that  standing  which  their  situation  and  importance  demands, — and 
that  will  appear  not  inconsiderable,  when  once  an  enlarged  and 
comprehensive  view  is  taken  of  the  subject.  Sailors,  unlike  any 
other  class  of  men,  have  been  sent  forth,  and  have  gone  out  into 
the  world,  even  to  strangers  in  unknown  lands,  without  any  testi- 
monial or  commendation  from  those  who  knew  them;  and  have 
been  forced  to  stand  or  fall,  upon  a general  character,  which  is  re- 
probated in  almost  every  land.  Most  other  men  who  travel  in  fo- 
reign parts,  take  letters  of  recommendation  from  their  friends,  and 
of  commendation  to  those  into  whose  company  they  may  fall;  but 
with  the  sailor  it  is  not  so.  Now  to  remedy  this  evil,  and  bring  the 
sailor  on  a level  with  other  men,  Register  Offices  should  be  esta- 
blished in  every  principal  seaport  throughout  Christendom.  In 
these  the  name  of  every  worthy  seaman  should  be  recorded,  and 
his  place  of  boarding  or  residence  designated ; and  when  he  leaves 
a port,  he  should  take  from  it  a letter  of  introduction  to  respecta- 
ble people  in  the  port  to  which  he  is  bound. 

The  sailor  is  often  swindled  and  robbed  of  his  hard  earned  wa- 
ges, and  again  and  again  sent  out  penniless  on  the  world. f To 
remedy  this  evil,  there  should  always  be  some  provision  for  him  in 
some  savings  bank,  and  he  persuaded  to  deposit  there  something 
for  himself  or  for  his  family,  against  a day  of  sickness  or  other 
time  of  need. 

* The  following  picture  is  not  highly  drawn,  and  as  a general  fact,  it  applies,  not  to 
British  seamen  alone,  but  to  seamen  in  general.  Would  to  God  it  were  true  only  of 
British  seamen  ; but  any  one  who  will  take  the  trouble  to  investigate  for  himself,  and 
will  go  to  the  proper  and  only  correct  sources  of  information,  will  find  that  it  is  a most 
terrible  feature  of  the  seaman’s  character,  in  every  part  of  the  world.  One  who  has 
long  been  familiar  with  seamen,  their  manners,  habits,  and  customs,  both  when  in  port, 
and  when  at  sea,  remarks, — “As  to  any  thing  like  correct  and  spiritual  conceptions  of 
God,  I affirm,  with  the  coolest  deliberation,  that  the  Jew  and  the  Turk  are  vastly  better 
informed  than  were  thousands  of  our  seamen  when  I was  afloat : and  as  to  any  thing  like 
a scriptural  knowledge  of  the  Saviour,  as  made  known  in  the  gospel,  the  very  savage 
Hottentots  in  the  wilds  of  Africa  know  as  much  as  thousands  of  British  seamen.  Some, 
indeed,  could,  and  did  read — but  what  did  they  read  ? Books  smuggled  on  board  and  sold 
at  enormous  prices,  and  purchased  with  avidity — such  as  never  dared  to  see  the  face  of 
day  in  our  land  ; — books  of  superlative  abomination,  and  which  seemed  to  be  the  finish- 
ing stroke  of  Satan  to  debase  and  pollute  the  heart  of  the  reader.”  These  books  gene- 
rally are  of  a character,  that  it  would  be  improper  even  to  name  in  this  place  , and  in  con- 
nexion with  other  and  kindred  causes,  conspire  to  make  the  sailor’s  character  and  situa- 
tion what  they  noware  ; and  give  the  Prince  of  darkness  an  almost  uncontrolled  sway 
over  them. 

| See  the  note  on  page  19. 


c 


IS 


To  bring  the  seamen  within  the  influence  of  these  means,  there 
'must  be  used  with  them  much  exhortation,  warning  and  persuasion. 
There  are  a great  variety  of  motives  connected  with  this  world,  as 
w'ell  as  with  the  next,  which  should  be  often  forcibly  and  most  affec  - 
tionately presented  to  them.  But  to  bring  any  of  these  motives 
before  them,  they  must,  in  general,  be  “ sought  out.”  There  must 
be  me/i  who  will  go  into  all  their  places  of  resort,  and  by  every 
power  which  they  possess,  persuade  them  “to  forsake  the  ways  of 
the  foolish,  and  go  in  the  ways  of  understanding.”  Sailors  must 
be  urged  to  attend  to  the  various  means  of  grace  which  are  holden 
out  to  them,  by  showing  them  the  advantages,  profits,  and  even, 
pleasures  in  this  life,  which  a virtuous  course  has  over  a course  of 
sin  and  dissipation.  Point  them  to  the  good  citizen — to  the  honour- 
able, the  virtuous,  and  the  happy  man,  and  persuade  them  to  imi- 
tate him.  Then  they  should  be  warned,  and  invited,  and  reproved, 
in  view  of  their  last  account,  and  the  awards  and  destinies  of  eter- 
nity. But  this  must  all  be  done  in  a most  tender  and  affectionate 
manner;  and  the  sailor  should  be  convinced  that  love  to  his  soul 
prompts  it,  and  that  his  good  is  really  sought  in  it,  and  then  he 
will  receive  it  with  all  the  kindness  of  a brother.  Men,  therefore, 
who  go  after  seamen  to  their  haunts  of  vice,  need  to  be  men  of  a 
peculiar  character,  lest  they  should  shut  up  the  sailor’s  heart  against 
the  truth ; or  dishonour  Christ,  by  not  faithfully  and  fearlessly  re- 
proving sin  in  some  of  its  most  hateful  forms.  If  we  do  not  mis- 
judge, they  should  be  men  of  knowledge — men  of  pleasant  address 
— fearless  men — men  “full  of  faith  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.’’  This 
“Press-gang,”*  should  immediately  be  instituted  in  every  great 
seaport  in  the  world,  and  should  be  kept  up  with  unabating  activity 
and  zeal,  so  long  as  the  war  between  Immanuel  and  the  Prince  of 
darkness,  for  the  dominion  of  the  sea,  continues.  There  is  one 
strong  reason  for  this  measure; — the  present  enemies  of  seamen 
are  constantly  active  and  vigilant  to  seduce  and  ruin  them,  and  the 

* The  “ Press-gang”  is  an  association  of  warm-hearted  Christians,  who  have  associa- 
ted themselves  for  the  purpose  of  going  after  seamen,  and  getting  them  under  the  means 
of  grace.  Their  times  of  labour  are  a little  before  the  time  of  service  on  the  Sabbath, 
and  before  the  Bethel  meetings  on  the  week  day  ; and  their  object  is  to  bring  sailors  to 
the  meetings.  They  enter  all  their  haunts  of  vice,  and  endeavour  to  persuade  them  to 
leave  these  abodes  of  horror  and  of  guilt,  and  go  to  the  “place  where  prayer  is  wont  to  be 
made.”  The  enemy  will  not  wait  for  the  sailors  to  come  to  him,  although  he  has  all  the 
lusts  of  the  flesh  on  his  side ; but  he  will  go  out  and  catch  them  by  enticement,  by  persua- 
sion, and  almost  by  compulsion,  and  bring  them  into  his  snares.  And  should  not  the 
Christian  disciple  be  as  active,  as  vigilant,  and  as  persevering  to  stop  them  in  their  career 
of  sin  and  wo,  and  bringing  them  to  the  house  of  God  : — There  should  be  men  as  ex- 
clusively devoted  to  this  work,  where  there  are  meetings  for  seamen,  as  there  are  to  col- 
lect and  superintend  Sabbath  Schools.  The  reason  it  is  not  done,  is,  not  that  the  object 
is  not  of  paramount  importance,  but  from  some  other  cause,  which  we  desire  Christians  in 
seaport  towns  to  investigate  for  themselves.  W e know  that  it  is  in  many  respects  a 
most  unpleasant  service  ; but  still  it  is  important,  and  it  is  unwise  to  neglect  it.  The 
children  of  light  will  never  be  as  wise  and  active  in  their  cause,  as  the  children  of  this 
world  are  in  theirs,  till  such  an  association  is  in  most  active  and  vigilant  operation  in  even 
important  port,  when  seamen  can  have  religious  worship,  in  all  parts  of  the  world,. 


friends  of  the  Redeemer  and  of  the  souls  of  these  men.  should. cer- 
tainly be  as  active  to  undeceive  and  save  them. 

A GOOD  AND  PIOUS  EXAMPLE 

should  be  given  to  seamen  at  all  times,  but  especially  when  they 
are  ashore.  They  should  be  convinced  that  Christians  feel  for  them 
and  love  them.  When  they  do  see  Christians,  they  should  see  in 
them  something  of  the  spirit  which  led  Jesus  to  die  for  sinners,  and 
his  disciples  to  endure  all  the  indignities  of  a world  for  the  honour 
of  his  name.  This  the  sailors  should  see  in  the  disciples  of  Christ, 
and  a willingness  to  bear  reproach,  endure  the  self-denial,  the  scoffs 
of  a haughty  world,  and  to  spend  and  be  spent  for  the  sake  of 
bringing  them  home  to  hope  and  heaven.  But  this  shining  of  a 
Christian  example  sailors  can  never  have  in  the  present  state  of 
things,  and  for  the  best  of  all  reasons,  that  it  does  not  exist.  But 
still,  did  it  exist  to  any  considerable  extent  in  the  Christian  world, 
it  would  be  difficult  to  bring  seamen  under  its  influence,  till  it  had 
effected  a material  change  in  the  present  state  of  things  with  them. 
While,  however,  the  present  system  of  boarding  for  sailors  exists, 
it  will  be  impossible  that  a good  and  pious  example  should  be  given 
them,  especially  while  on  shore.  This  system  is,  at  present,  nearly 
as  bad  as  it  can  be.  The  sailor  boarding-houses,  nearly  without 
an  exception,  are  retailing  dram-shops,  which,  of  itself,  is  enough  to 
make  them  the  nurseries  of  almost  every  species  of  vice.  To  an 
alarming  extent,  they  are  the  patrons  of  gambling,  profane  swear- 
ing, dissipation,  fraud  and  lewdness.*  In  the  city  of  New-York 

* On  the  subject  referred  to  in  this  note,  we  have  taken  the  trouble  to  collect  the  fol- 
lowing facts,  which  apply  to  the  state  of  the  case,  with  more  or  less  exactness,  throughout 
the  world.  That  the  system  of  boarding  for  sailors,  is  in  this  extreme  wretched,  and 
superlatively  calculated  to  ruin  these  men,  is  as  evident  as  a noonday  sun,  to  every  man 
who  will  take  the  trouble,  and  exercise  the  self-denial  to  investigate  for  himself;  and  it 
is  quite  time  that  this  extensive  system  of  ruin  was  brought  before  the  public  eye,  that 
the  importance  of  “The  American  Seamen’s  Friend  Society,”  may  be  more  deeply  felt-. 
“ There  are,”  says  a correspondent,  “ two  customs  now  existing  in  the  merchant  service, 
which  are  ruining  sailors  by  hundreds  and  thousands  ever)-  year  , they  are  the  crimping 
system,  and  the  mode  of  paying  sailors  their  wages.  On  pay-day  the  sailors  have  no 
friend  on  board,  but  they  are  surrounded  by  the  crimps  (or  landlords)  who  are  waiting 
with  their  bills,  and  after  securing  the  money  for  them,  others  demand  the  money  for 
their  guilty  associates  ; and  if  any  money  is  left,  the  crew  is  invited  to  spend  it  jovially  at 
the  public  house,  or  at  the  brothel  ?”  The  Rev.  R.  Marks,  speaking  of  the  sailor,  and 
the  ways  in  which  he  is  gulled  and  ruined,  says,  “ From  the  moment  his  vessel  enters 
into  port,  he  is  surrounded  by  a set  of  men  called  crimps,  who  keep  public,  lodging, 
and  boarding  houses,  of  a description  which  would  well  suit  the  cities  of  Sodom  and  Go- 
morrah. These  wretches,  with  the  vile  women  they  bring  in  their  train,  carry  the  irre- 
sistible bait  of  liquor  and  good  cheer  ; advance  a little  money  for  present  use  ; invite  the 
weather-beaten  voyager  to  their  quarters  ; keep  him  in  the  commission  of  every  sin  and 
every  excess  until  he  has  received  his  hard-earned  pay ; then  stupify  his  every  sense  with 
liquor,  rob  him  of  his  wages,  and  often  strip  him  of  his  only  jacket,  and  cast  him  out  of 
doors,  and  leave  him  ruined  in  his  circumstances,  and  half  destroyed  in  his  constitution, 
to  shift  for  himself  as  he  can  ; — to  procure  another  ship,  and  again  to  encounter  all  the 
dangers  and  privations  of  the  sea,  or  to  die  with  cold,  and  hunger,  and  disease,  in  the 
street  : and  often,  with  his  expiring  breath,  he  implores  a curse  on  his  country  and  his 
fellow-creatures.”  Speaking  of  the  same  scenes  of  licentiousness  in  another  place,  he 


there  are  a number  of  carriages  almost  constantly  employed 
keeping  up  a communication  between  the  sailor  boarding-houses 
and  the  brothels;  and  that  not  only  at  night,  but  in  the  face  of 
day.  In  such  houses  the  sailor  ordinarily  must  board,  when  on 

says,  “Particulars  cannot  be  given  to  the  public:  the  tale  is  too  horrid,  and  the  recital 
too  disgusting.  I will,  however,  merely  mention,  that  I have  frequently  known  from 
two  to  four  hundred  of  the  most  abandoned  females  that  ever  polluted  society,  on  board 
of  a seventy-four  gun  ship  at  one  time ; and  large  quantities  of  spirits  permitted  by  the 
officer  in  command  to  be  brought  on  board,  under  the  name  of  liberty  liquor,  until  such 
a scene  of  drunkenness,  such  a yell  of  oaths  and  unclean  speeches,  and  such  riot  and  li- 
centiousness filled  the  whole  ship,  as  utterly  beggars  all  description.'1  The  Rev.  G.  C.  S, 
giving  an  account  of  a visit  in  company  with  a friend,  to  one  of  the  British  ships  of  war, 
walking  around  her,  says,  “The  appearance  and  language  of  several  most  abandoned 
creatures,  from  the  shore,  soon  fixed  our  attention,  and  excited  our  deepest  horror.  The 
lieutenant,  observing  this,  said,  ‘ These  are  very  unpleasant  scenes  for  you,  gentlemen, 
but  we  are  obliged  to  permit  them  in  a man-of-war  ; we  had  about  fou:  hundred  of  these 
unhappy  creatures  on  board  at  Plymouth,  but  I suppose  more  than  one  hundred  went  on 
shore  before  we  sailed,  and  the  rest  you  see  on  board  are  waiting  until  the  ship  is  paid  off, 
when  each  one  of  them  will  get  all  she  can  from  the  sailor  to  whom  she  attaches  herself.’ 
We  paused  a moment  to  meditate  on  this  truly  awful  circumstance — a whole  ship’s  com- 
pany nearly  ruined  by  this  abominable  practice  ! We  know  that  no  beings  on  earth 
abound  in  such  horrid  language  and  allusions  as  these  persons  do.  It  will  probably  be 
thought  that  this  practice  cannot  be  very  extensive,  and  must  be  confined  to  a few  solita- 
ry cases.  But  what  will  be  thought  when  we  find  that  the  publishers  of  the  pamphlet, 
which  first  brought  this  indescribable  evil  to  light,  ‘challenge  inquiry,  and,’ as  they  say 
themselves,  ‘ are  ready  to  prove,  (if  it  should  become  necessary,  by  specifying  the  names 
of  ships  and  commanders,)  that  with  the  exception  of  one  or  two  ships,  the  practice  we 
complain  of  has  been,  and  at  this  moment  actually  is,  general  in  all  our  ports,  when  ships 
are  either  fitting  for  sea,  or  arrive  from  their  stations.’  ’ This  is  certainly  an  alarming 
fact,  since  it  is  so  indubitably  certain  that  sailors  are,  to  such  an  amazing  extent,  cor- 
rupters of  each  other,  of  whatever  nation  they  are  : but  it  is  particularly  so  to  both  En- 
gland and  America,  since  their  seamen  are  connected  by  so  many  strong  ties.  To  the 
good  people  of  every  country  and  community  we  would  say,  “Look  at  this  dreadful  pic- 
ture again  ! Do  you  not  behold  the  gray-headed,  as  well  as  the  more  youthful  sailor  re- 
clining on  the  bosom  of  the  adultress  and  the  harlot,  wallowing  in  drunkenness,  turning 
their  backs  on  the  assemblies  of  God’s  saints,  opening  their  lips,  not  to  speak  the  praises 
of  the  Saviour’s  love,  or  of  a Father’s  providence,  but  to  dishonour  these  sacred  names, 
and  thus  corrupting  society  by  their  conspicuous  and  contagious  example:” 

In  a letter  from  a London  correspondent,  under  date  of  March  3d,  1S26,  we  are  fur- 
nished with  the  following  statement.  Speaking  of  the  seamen,  he  says,  “As  soon  as 
they  enter  into  harbour,  they  are  paid  their  wages  and  left  as  a prey  to  the  most  abandoned 
villains,  prostitutes  and  publicans,  who,  in  a few  days,  sometimes  in  a few  hours,  rob  them 
of  their  hard-earned  wages,  of  a v oyage  of  one  or  two  years.  I have  seen  and  heard  so 
much  of  it,  that  my  heart  sickens  almost  at  the  thought.  Three  weeks  ago,  in  company 
with  the  Rev.  G.  C Smith,  I visited  two  frigates  at  Woolwich,  which  were  just  arrived, 
one  from  the  East-Indies  the  other  from  South  America.  The  crew  of  the  former,  I 
understood,  had  nearly  four  years  pay  to  receive.  There  we  witnessed  a scene  which 
was  disgraceful,  but  not  uncommon,  in  a King’s  ship.  There  were  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  prostitutes  in  the  ’tween  decks,  all  of  the  lowest  description,  connected  with  a 
set  of  beings,  (I  cannot  call  them  men)  denominated  crimps  ; who,  under  the  pretence  of 
getting  the  sailor,  ships,  take  them  to  their  houses,  where  they  make  them  drunk,  and 
the  next  morning  they  find  themselves  robbed  of  every  sixpence  : thus  are  these  poor  fel- 
lows ruined  body  and  soul,  and  turned  out  to  shift  for  themselves.  W hen  the  crimps 
get  a ship  for  a poor  fellow,  they  undertake  to  find  him  in  clothes,  to  be  paid  for  out  of 
his  month,  or  two  months’  advance,  before  he  leaves  Gravesend.  Here  is  poor  Jack  im- 
posed upon  again,  by  being  charged  three  or  four  times  as  much  for  his  jacket.  &c.  as  he 
could  get  them  for  of  a fair  tradesman.  I have  been  an  eye-witness  to  it  Sometimes 
his  advance  money  is  not  sufficient  to  pay  the  bill,  and  the  crimp  gets  an  absent  bond,  on 
which  the  owner  pays  one  or  two  months’  wages  while  the  ship  is  prosecuting  her  voyage, 
so  that  when  the  poor  fellow  returns  he  has  but  little  to  receive,  and  this  little  he  is  again 
plundered  of  by  the  same  system  of  villainy.”  We  also  have  seen  a little  of  the  same 
picture  ourselves : and  a lieutenant  in  the  United  States’  Navy  informed  us,  but  a few 


2.1 


shore,  because  there  are  few  of  any  other  description  into  which 
he  can  be  admitted.  Often  have  we  been  told  by  sailors,  when 
somewhat  serious  about  their  future  destiny,  that  they  could  not 
become  religious  in  the  boarding-houses.  “Show  us,”  say  they, 
“ a house  where  we  can  go,  and  find  pious  shipmates  and  land- 
lords who  will  care  for  us,  and  then  we  will  attend  to  religion;  but 
as  soon  as  we  get  home,  our  messmates,  the  landlord,  and  the  girls, 
are  all  ready  to  board  us  at  once,  and  we  cannot  think  seriously, 
or  even  pray  for  the  salvation  of  our  souls.”  It  is  therefore  im- 
portant and  indispensable,  if  we  wish  to  do  these  men  good,  and 
make  them  virtuous,  honourable  and  happy,  that  boarding-houses 
of  a different  character  be  immediately  provided  for  them — houses 
where  they  may  enjoy  some  of  the  common  privileges  of  morality 
and  religion. 

To  effect  the  objects  above  specified,  is  the  principal  design  of 
“The  American  Seamen’s  Friend  Society,”  although  its  efforts  are 
not  to  be  confined  to  these,  as  may  be  seen  by  the  second  article  of 
its  constitution  ; but  it  may  and  will,  as  its  means  shall  allow,  at- 
tend to  any  other  branch  in  the  great  work  of  improving  the  moral 
and  religious  character  of  seamen.  Should  it  be  asked,  what  can 
the  Society  do  to  remedy  the  evils  now  existing  in  the  present  sys- 
tem of  sailor  boarding-houses?  it  may  be  replied;  it  can  patronise 
men  who  will  keep  for  seamen,  good,  moral,  and  orderly  boarding- 
houses ! and  it  can  use  all  its  own  influence,  and  enlist  the  influence 
of  as  many  friends  as  possible,  to  convince  seamen  that  it  will  be 
for  their  interest  and  happiness  to  prefer  these  to  other  places  of 
boarding.  Men  enough  of  the  right  character  may  be  found  to 
keep  such  houses,  provided  they  can  have  the  countenance  of  the 
Society  and  the  Christian  community.  By  means  of  active  auxilia- 
ries or  branches  in  all  the  important  seaports,  the  same  system  of 
measures,  for  the  removal  of  this  evil,  may  be  entered  into  at  once, 
and  vigorously  acted  upon,  through  the  whole  country.  If  the 
present  keepers  of  sailor  boarding-houses,  will  come  into  the  mea- 
sures of  the  Society,  let  them,  equally  with  any  others,  be  patron- 
ised by  it.  This  will  be  a line  of  conduct  unexceptionable  and 
just.  Let  then  the  Society  have  means,  and  prove  her,  if  she  will 
not  soon  put  a different  aspect  on  this  most  deplorable  part  of  the 
subject.  If  it  be  hard,  yet  it  must  be  done ! or  the  same  system 
will  go  on  ; the  seamen  will  still  pollute  the  world  with  their  crimes, 
destroy  the  heathen,  and  plunge  themselves  in  endless  ruin. 

months’  since,  that  he  had  seen  one  hundred  and  fifty  of  such  wretches  on  board  the 
ship  to  which  he  was  attached,  at  one  time. 

There  are  supposed  to  be  about  five  thousand  of  these  wretched  females  in  the  city  of 
New-York  ! and  about  sixty  thousand  in  London,  and  probably  other  cities  in  about  the 
same  proportion.  So  long,  therefore,  as  there  is  an  interchange  of  communication  be- 
tween these  and  the  boarding-houses,  it  is  impossible  that  a moral  and  religious  example 
should  be  given  to  our  seamen. 


22 


Seamen  must  be  provided  with 

A PLACE  FOR  DIVINE  WORSHIP, 

where  they  can  be  accommodated  and  feel  at  home.  This  measure 
is  rendered  necessary  from  the  very  state  of  the  case  In  all  large 
cities  and  seaports  they  could  not  be  accommodated  in  the  ordina- 
ry churches,  were  they  disposed  to  mingle  with  other  congrega- 
tions; but,  from  the  long  and  habitual  neglect  which  they  have  re- 
ceived, they  are  not  disposed  to  do  it.  Many  have  often  made 
the  attempt,  and  failed,  because,  in  most  city  congregations,  it  would 
be  considered  disgraceful  to  suffer  “Jack  with  his  roundabout,”  to 
sit  with  polite  and  genteel  people.  This  the  sailor  knows,  and  he 
despises  to  intrude  himself  where  he  is  not  wanted.  There  is  this 
universal  fact,  with  all  the  seamen’s  peculiarities  of  habit,  of  dress, 
of  dialect,  and  even  their  modes  of  thinking,  which  makes  it  neces- 
sary to  furnish  a place  of  worship  for  them.  But  aside  from  every 
other  consideration,  their  number  requires  it.*  Their  number  is 

* The  city  of  New-York  has  belonging  to  it,  including  those  who  are  regular  traders, 
above  twenty  thousand  seamen.  Suppose  fifteen  hundred  out  of  these  to  be  pious  men, 
(which  is  probably  a very  large  estimate,)  and  it  will  then  leave  eighteen  thousand  five 
hundred,  who  need  the  salvation  of  Christ,  in  order  that  they  may  best  answer  the  great 
end  of  their  being,  and  die  in  peace.  To  see,  however,  the  weight  of  responsibility  ac- 
tually lying  on  the  Christian  community,  in  regard  to  sailors,  we  must  form  an  estimate 
of  the  number  constantly  in  port,  to  whom  the  streams  of  Christian  kindness  and  love 
ought  unceasingly  to  flow.  We  give  the  following  estimate  from  public  documents. 
During  the  last  year,  there  were  cleared  at  the  custom-house,  in  the  port  of  New-York, 
1208  vessels  for  foreign  ports,  which  would  average  at  least  ten  men  each  ; and  up  to  the 
first  of  August  of  the  present  year,  629  vessels  of  the  same  description.  So  that  last 
year  were  employed  on  foreign  voyages,  in  New-York  alone,  at  least  12,000  seamen  ; 
and  the  present  year,  up  to  August,  as  above,  6,290.  About  the  same  number  of  men  are 
employed  in  the  coasting  trade,  by  vessels  that  clear  at  the  custom-house,  and  at  least 
as  great  a number  in  those  which  do  not  clear  at  all.  Deduct,  however,  one  third  for 
the  same  men  going  at  different  times,  and  it  will  leave  between  20  and  30  thousand. 
About  3,000,  then,  will  be  a fair  estimate  for  those  actually  in  port.  Then  add  1,500 
for  superannuated  seamen  and  along-shore  men  ; an  1,500  families  with  fivejn  a family, 
all  of  which  are  within  bounds  ; and  we  shall  have  at  least  12,000  immortal  beings  in  the 
port  of  New-York,  of  seamen  and  those  connected  with  them,  who  need  constantly  to 
be  fed  with  the  bread  of  life : and  yet  we  have  but  a single  church  for  the  whole.  Ought 
there  not  to  be  a floating- chapel  also,  and  additional  labourers?  The  United  States 
have  at  least  100,000  seamen ; then,  their  families,  and  those  pursuing  the  same  occu- 
pation, and  who  are  to  be  benefitted  and  moralized  in  the  same  way,  will  at  the  very 
lowest  estimation  amount  to  as  many  more.*  This  fact  alone  is  sufficient  to  show  the 
necessity  of  places  of  worship  for  seamen  . but  when  it  is  remembered,  that  thousands 
of  foreigners  annually  visit  us,  some  of  whom  at  least  would  be  glad  to  attend  divine 
worship,  it  appears  more  strikingly  important.  In  Great-Britain  they  have  at  least 
500,000  seamen  ; and  in  the  world  probably  not  less  than  3,000,000.  Then  taking  their 
families,  and  those  so  intimately  connected  with  them,  that  if  approached  and  benefitted 
at  all  by  the  Gospel  of  salvation,  it  must  be  done  in  the  same  way  as  with  seamen,  and 

(*)  AU  these  are  to  be  embraced  in  the  labours  of  " The  American  Seamen’s  Friend  Society  nor  does 
the  great  object  at  which  it  aims  stop  ei e It  is  designed  to  embrace  the  numerous  class  of  river  and 
boat  met  , on  our  great  rivers,  lakes,  and  canals.  The  number  of  these  men  at  present  is  very  great, 
and  they  are  annually  increasing.  Their  habits  of  life,  take  them  as  a body,  are  probably  no  better  than 
those-of  seamen:  manyT  them  are  extremely  licentious  and  pr  fane.  There  are  many  places  on  the 
Hudson,  on  the  great  (Janal,  on  the  great  Lakes,  on  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers,  as  well  a*  on  many 
other  rivers  in  our  country,  where  meetings  ought  to  be  held  every  Sabbath  day  at  least,  for  river 
aad  boat  men:  and  among  them  Bibles  and  Tracts  ought  to  be  distributed.  Such  is  the  lield  of  labour 
contemplated  by  the  A.  S.  F.  S.  and  towards  which  it  wishes  to  turn  the  eye?  ot  the  coinoiuiuty  ; aiv.i 
in  the  cultivation  of  which  it  asks  the  aid  of  all  the  friends  of  man. 


much  greater  than  is  generally  imagined.  The  Jews  are  deemed 
sufficiently  numerous  and  important  to  excite  the  sympathies  of 
Christendom.  But  Christendom  has  many  more  seamen  than  she 
has  Jews,  and  they  are  hardly  deemed  of  sufficient  importance  to 
call  forth  a single  sympathy.  It  may  indeed  be  said,  that  “if  sail- 
ors were  honest  and  provident,  they  might  provide  all  these  neces- 
sary means,  both  for  themselves  and  families.”  This  is  unquestion- 
ably true,  but  it  is  as  true  of  the  heathen,  as  of  the  sailor ; and  yet 
it  is  not  deemed  a sufficient  reason  for  doing  nothing  to  save  them 
from  ruin.  And  after  all,  the  truth  is,  that  the  Christian  world 
owes  to  her  seamen  ten  thousand  talents,  when  to  the  heathen  she 
does  not  owe  fifty.  Notwithstanding,  thousands  and  hundreds  of 
thousands,  are  annually  expended  upon  the  heathen,  yet  seamen  are 
left  to  perish,  with  scarcely  an  eye  to  pity,  or  a hand  to  save ! — ■ 
Brethren  in  Jesus  Christ,  what  meaneth  this? 

Seamen  should  have  a 

PREACHED  GOSPEL  AND  BIBLES. 

These  they  should  find  in  every  important  port  in  Christendom, 
This  must  be  plain  to  every  reader  who  considers,  that  it  has 
“pleased  God  by  the  foolishness  of  preaching  to  save  them  that 
believe’’ — even  seamen  as  well  as  others.  Of  this  blessing  they 
have  long  been  deprived,  but  the  defect  is  beginning  to  be  supplied, 
both  in  England  and  America ; but  still  there  is  very  much  to  be 
done,  even  in  this  department.  Bibles,  also,  and  tracts  should  be 
furnished  for  seamen,  so  that  it  could  never  again  be  said  that  sail- 
ors from  a Christian  country  go  years  without  either  the  one  or  the 
other.  It  is,  however,  no  difficult  task  at  this  day  to  find  sailors, 
who  for  years  have  neither  seen  a Bible,  nor  a tract,  nor  even  heard 
the  name  of  God  mentioned,  but  to  be  blasphemed  What  do  such 
facts  tell,  but  that  we  do  not  feel  for  our  brethren  “whose  home  is 
on  the  deep  ?”  But  it  may  be  said,  “ there  are  Marine  Bible  So- 
cieties, why  do  they  not  supply  these  men  with  the  word  of  life?” 
Because  the  same  deep  sleep  which  has  rested  on  the  world  for 
ages,  where  the  moral  state  of  sailors  is  concerned,  is  still  unbroken, 
and  they  can  procure  neither  funds  nor  labourers  to  accomplish 
the  work.  The  Bible  might  often  be  a very  great  comfort,  as  well 
as  an  unspeakable  benefit  to  the  sailor  in  his  various  peregrinations 
and  trials.  The  history  of  its  operations  on  such  minds,  furnishes 
a multitude  of  facts  to  establish  the  truth  of  the  above  supposition. 
When,  for  instance,  a sailor  values  his  Bible  more  than  his  life, — 
will  risk  the  latter  to  save  the  former,  and  will  refuse  to  part  with 
it  for  money.  One  testimony  like  the  following,  of  which  there 

we  must  more  than  double  that  number.  We  have  not  room  in  this  note  to  bring1  for- 
ward data  for  all  these  conclusions.  The  one  above,  in  relation  to  the  city  of  New-York, 
must  suffice  for  this  place,  and  we  do  think  it  quite  sufficient  to  prove  the  point  for 
which  it  was  intended. 


24, 


are  many  from  shipmasters,  will  prove  the  utility  of  the  Bible 
among  sailors  more  than  a thousand  arguments.  “Every  thing 
goes  as  it  ought,  when  the  Bible  is  regarded  by  the  crew ; the 
duty  is  cheerlully  done — the  owners’  property  is  more  safe,  and  all 
is  smooth  and  pleasant.”  Sailors,  then,  should  have  Bibles! 

There  is  one  thing  more,  which  we  have  not  named,  that  must  be 
done  for  seamen.  If,  however,  it  be  ever  done,  it  must  be  done  by 
the  disciples  ot  Christ  alone.  It  has  not  been  done ; and  whether 
there  be  not  leanness  in  all  the  flock  of  God,  on  account  of  the  ne- 
glect of  it,  merits  the  serious  consideration  of  every  child  of  God. 
It  is  this, — 

SEAMEN  MUST  BE  PRAYED  FOR. 

This  is  a duty  which  every  Christian  must  confess  to  be  of  immense 
importance  to  the  salvation  of  seamen.  It  is  a duty  too,  the  per- 
formance of  which  should  have  seemed  easy.  It  would  not  have 
cost  money,  nor  yet  much  labour  or  time.  But  it  is  a duty  which 
has  not  been  done.  This  is  proved  from  observation  and  from 
fact.  We  have  made  it  a subject  of  inquiry  for  more  than  four 
years  past,  and  the  result  is  the  fullest  conviction  that  there  is  not 
one  prayer  in  a thousand,  in  which  seamen  are  either  named  or 
thought  of.  Let  no  one  attempt  to  quiet  his  conscience  on  this  sub- 
ject, by  saying,  that  he  has  often  prayed  for  all  men;  for  such  an 
argument  would  be  just  as  valid  when  applied  to  the  heathen,  to 
his  own  nation,  or  family,  and  even  to  the  church  of  God,  as  when 
applied  to  seamen.  Let  every  Christian  ask  himself,  how  many 
prayers  he  can  distinctly  recollect  either  to  have  heard  or  made,  in 
which  sailors,  as  a class  of  mankind,  were  made  the  subjects  of  them? 
The  Church  has  her  concert  of  prayer,  monthly,  for  the  heathen, 
whom  she  shall  never  see  till  the  day  of  final  adjudication,  and  to 
whom  she  owes  comparatively  little,  (and  in  it  she  has  done  nobly !) 
but  the  seamen , to  whom  she  owes  so  much — who  are  enriching  her 
with  every  breeze,  and  who  are  from  the  midst  of  her,  bone  of  her 
bone,  and  flesh  of  her  flesh,  have  been  forgotten,  even  in  her  most 
solemn  and  fervent  prayers.  They  have  been  little  more  remem- 
bered than  the  congregation  of  the  dead!  Now  what  is  the  assign- 
able reason  for  this  almost  universal  neglect?  Has  it  been  from 
ignorance  and  inattention  to  their  real  worth,  character,  and  situa- 
tion ; or  is  it  to  be  attributed  to  a worse  cause  ? Certain  it  is  that 
they  shared,  both  in  the  labours  and  prayers  of  the  Saviour  of  man- 
kind, and  from  among  them  he  chose  at  least  four  of  his  most  faith- 
ful and  efficient  apostles.  That  seamen  are  prayed  for  but  little, 
we  know  from  the  fact,  that  as  yet  but  little  has  been  doue  for  them. 
And  it  is  a well  known  truth,  that  when  men  pray  much  for  any  ob- 
ject, they'  labour  correspondingly  to  accomplish  it.  This  remark 
is  most  strikingly  corroborated  in  the  history  of  missions  to  the  hea- 
then. In  this  work  it  is  manifest  that  the  fervency  and  constancy 


of  prayer,  and  active  effort,  have  gone  hand  in  hand.  And  the 
same  remark  will  probably  hold  equally  good  in  regard  to  all  the 
great  efforts  of  benevolence,  which  so  peculiarly  mark  the  history 
of  the  age  in  which  we  live.  Now  could  we  once  gain  “the  effec- 
tual fervent  prayer”  of  all  the  righteous,  in  behalf  of  the  seamen, 
we  should  expect  soon  to  see  an  effort  put  forth  in  their  behalf,  that 
would  speedily  rescue  a great  multitude  of  them  from  the  hand  of 
the  destroyer.  We  would,  therefore,  most  affectionately  say  to  “all 
the  holy  brethren,” — Pray  for  the  seamen! — Pray  that  “the  abun- 
dance of  the  sea”  may  speedily  be  converted, — Pray  that  God  may 
soon  become  the  confidence  of  “ all  them  that  are  far  off  upon  the 
sea,” — Pray  that  sailors  in  every  land  may  “sing  a new  song  unto 
the  Lord,  and  declare  his  praise  in  the  islands !’’ — Pray  that  they 
may  soon  call  the  people  or  nations  unto  the  mountain  of  the  Lord; 
and  there  with  the  multitude  from  every  nation  offer  unto  our  God 
the  sacrifices  of  righteousness  and  of  praise. 

MOTIVES  TO  ACTION. 

It  now  only  remains  for  us  to  mention  a few  of  the  motives  which 
urge  to  the  immediate  performance  of  this  work.  The  importance 
of  the  work  itself  forms  one  motive,  strong  and  various  as  are  the 
bearings  of  the  conversion  of  seamen  on  the  glory  of  the  church,  and 
the  happiness  of  the  world.  That  conversion,  it  has  already  appear- 
ed, will  have  a most  powerful  and  happy  influence  on  all  the  com- 
mercial interests  of  the  world, — on  all  the  political  interests  of  na- 
tions,— on  all  the  moral  interests  of  society,  and  on  all  the  religious 
interests  of  the  Church.  These  considerations  alone,  it  should  seem, 
would  form  a motive  strong  enough  to  engage  all  the  friends  of 
God  and  man,  both  in  their  individual  and  collective  capacities,  at 
once  to  adopt  measures,  promptly  to  execute  plans,  and  provide 
ample  means  for  the  accomplishment  of  an  end  so  important.  There 
can,  we  think,  be  little  doubt,  but  that  it  would  most  effectually  dry 
up  some  of  the  principal  streams  of  vice,  which  at  this  moment 
deluge  the  world  with  pollution  and  crime;  while  at  the  same  time 
it  would  raise  up  a host  of  the  best  missionaries  and  auxiliaries  to 
the  missionary  cause,  that  could  well  be  conceived.  We  hope  soon 
to  see  some  abler  hand  take  up  this  subject,  and  unfold  in  a strong 
and  powerful  light,  its  various  and  important  bearings  on  all  the 
great  interests  of  man,  both  in  regard  to  time  and  eternity.  Such 
a developement  we  are  sure  can  be  made,  so  as  to  form  a motive  to 
immediate  and  powerful  action  in  the  cause,  which  cannot  well  be 
resisted. 

Another  motive  is  found  in  the  wisdom  of  the  measure.  That 
it  would  be  a wise  measure,  according  to  the  wisdom  of  this  world, 
will  appear  in  a strong  light,  when  once  an  accurate  estimate  is 
spread  out  to  the  eye  of  man,  of  all  the  depredations  which  unprin- 
cipled seamen  have  committed  on  the  rights  of  man,  upon  the  high 
seas,  and  in  foreign  realms ; and  of  the  sums  in  treasure  and  in 

D 


26 


/• 

blood,  which  these  depredations  have  cost  the  nations.  In  such  an 
estimate,  there  must  be  taken,  not  only  the  actual  plunders  and 
murders  of  all  the  pirates  and  mutineers ; the  incalculable  wretch- 
edness of  the  slave  trade,  and  many  of  the  wars,  professedly  for 
“sailors’  rights,”  between  Christian  nations; — but  also  almost  the 
whole  of  the  wars  which  have  been  waged  by  heathen  nations 
against  Christians — these  being  nearly  all  kindled  by  the  resentments 
of  an  injured  country,  for  wrongs  practised  upon  them  by  strangers. 
When  such  an  estimate  is  fairly  made  and  spread  out  before  the 
public  eye,  wre  do  think  the  wisdom  of  the  measure,  to  improve 
the  moral  and  religious  character  of  seamen,  will  no  longer  be  an 
unsolved  problem.  But  this  is  not  all  that  might  justly  be  taken 
into  such  an  estimate.  The  entire  moral  influence  of  all  this  wast- 
ing desolation  on  the  world,  must  be  calculated,  and  spread  out  be- 
fore us,  before  we  shall  be  able  to  see  the  perfection  of  that  w isdom 
which  marks  the  efforts  to  improve  the  morals  of  sailors,  even  in 
their  connexion  with  the  happiness  of  this  life.  Neglect,  then,  of 
the  moral  state  of  seamen  has  been  unw  ise,  on  the  strictest  princi- 
ples of  the  wisdom  of  this  world,  and  as  men  w ould  be  wise  for  them- 
selves and  their  children,  they  should  neglect  it  no  longer.  And 
how  strongly  marked  would  be  the  wisdom  of  this  measure  in  the 
Church  of  Christ ! how  much  more  extensively  would  she  spread 
abroad  her  saving  health  among  the  nations  of  the  world ! how  ex- 
tensive would  be  her  triumphs  in  the  dark  places  of  the  earth  ! and 
how  greatly  would  she  be  honoured  in  the  eyes  of  the  heathen, 
could  she  once  enlist  the  seamen  heart  and  hand  in  her  cause ! — 
Then,  indeed,  had  the  islands  w aited  for  the  Lord ; and  the  ships 
of  maritime  nations  should  have  been  first  to  bring  her  -ons  from 
far,  for  her  children  w’ould  have  been  spread  abroad  among  all  the 
nations.  And  silver  and  gold  in  abundance,  for  all  her  w ants,  had 
been  brought  as  a present  from  the  nations  and  their  kings,  to  beau- 
tify the  place  of  God’s  sanctuary,  that  he  might  be  glorious  in  the 
eyes  of  all  the  earth.  Such  are  a few  of  the  many  happy  results 
of  the  conversion  of  the  “ abundance  of  the  sea,”  according  to  the 
sure  word  of  prophecy ; and  w ould  it  not  be  wise  in  the  Church  to 
make  it  an  object  of  paramount  importance  ? Surely  it  would  be 
her  glory  and  honour,  both  in  the  eyes  of  God  and  man. 

The  criminality  of  neglecting  this  work,  should  be  another  mo- 
tive. The  guilt  which  Christian  nations  have  contracted  as  na- 
tions, in  neglecting  the  moral  state  of  their  seamen,  may,  in  the 
sight  of  God,  be  immensely  great;  and  there  are  few7  things  more 
probable  than  such  a supposition.  And  it  is  equally  probable  that 
many  of  their  heaviest  calamities  have  come  upon  them  in  conse- 
quence of  this  neglect : certain  it  is,  that  many  of  their  most  de- 
structive wars,  and  the  incalculable  evils  and  disasters  of  the  traflick 
in  slaves,  have  been  the  results  of  it.  This  fact  simply,  did  it  rest 
on  probability  alone,  should  be  a motive  sufficiently  strong  to  lead 


27 


such  nations  immediately  to  adopt  prompt  and  efficient  measures  to 
remedy,  as  far  as  possible,  the  evil.  The  guilt  and  criminality  of 
the  church  in  neglecting  to  make  strong  efforts  for  the  moral  reno- 
vation of  sailors,  is  still  more  apparent.  The  ascending  command 
of  Jesus,  “ Preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature,’’  has  been  perse- 
veringly  disobeyed,  in  regard  to  an  important  and  numerous  class 
of  her  fellow-creatures,  which  were  in,  and  from  the  midst  of  her. 
Sailors  have  been  suffered  to  live  and  die,  generation  alter  genera- 
tion, without  hope,  without  prayer,  and  even  without  warning  of 
their  future  and  unalterabln  destiny. — '•  If  thou  dost  not  speak  to 
warn  the  wicked  from  his  way,  that  wicked  man  shall  die  in  his 
iniquity,  but  his  blood  will  I require  at  thine  hand,’’  is  an  an- 
nouncement, not  without  its  application,  to  seamen  as  well  as  to 
other  men.  And  whose  duty  has  it  been  for  ages  past,  and  whose 
duty  is  it  still  to  warn  these  wicked  men  of  their  ways  ? Has  it 
not  always  been,  and  is  it  not  still  the  duty  of  the  Church  ? And 
has  she  not  then  reason  to  conclude,  that  the  blood  of  seamen  is 
even  now  found  upon  her,  and  that  it  crieth  from  the  deep  unto  the 
Lord,  against  her  peace  and  prosperity,  while  this  important  duty 
to  the  world  is  neglected?  If  the  conversion  of  seamen,  according 
to  prophecy,  is  to  produce  a happy  “ flowing-together,”  or  union 
in  the  church  ; if  it  be  greatly  to  increase  her  in  numbers,  in  * 
wealth,  in  respectability  and  honour  among  men,  and  in  holiness 
and  righteousness  before  God — who  can  reasonably  doubt  but  that 
her  present  divisions  and  contentions,  her  fewness  of  numbers,  her 
poverty,  her  reproach  and  dishonour,  and  even  her  leanness  of  soul, 
are  all  distinctive  marks  of  a frowning  providence,  for  this  long  and 
cruel  neglect  of  the  perishing  souls  of  the  seamen  ? On  this  sub- 
ject, then,  surely  the  church  should  go  and  sin  no  more  ! This  mo- 
tive should  lend  her  in  all  her  branches,  i unediately  to  arise  and 
put  forth  her  strong  energies  for  the  sailor’s  salvation,  until  this 
deep  stain  is  washed  away,  and  this  aggravated  and  protracted 
guilt  abundantly  pardoned. 

Another  notive  for  the  performan  e of  these  works,  is  found  in 
the  s uccess  which  has  crowned  the  labours  of  the  pious  few  who 
have  engaged  in  them.  Special  labours  for  the  conversion  of  sea- 
men are  of  recent  date,  it  being  only  about  nine  years  since  tbe 
first  effort  was  made.  Tiie  first  movers  of  this  noble  work  of  Chris- 
tian charity,  deserve  well  of  mankind,  and  we  regret  that  we  have 
not  their  names  to  give  to  the  world  : We  are,  however,  at  present, 
only  able  t * say,  th  it  they  were  a few  pious  seamen  of  Rotherheith, 
a little  to  the  east  of  London  bridge.  In  A.  D.  1817,  they  began 
to  hold  praye  meetings,  specially  for  seamen,  on  board  of  ships 
under  a flag  which  lias  since  been  denominated  the  “Bethel  Flag,” 
and  is  now  known  as  a signal  of  religious  worship  for  seamen,  in 
almost  every  quarter  of  the  world.  This  effort  of  the  seamen  soon 
awakened  the  attention  of  a number  of  pious  men  to  the  situation 
and  claims  of  seamen  generally,  and  the  result  was,  that  in  the 
course  of  the  next  year,  the  “ Port  of  London,”  and  the  “ Port  of 


New-Yoik,?>  Societies  for  improving  the  moral  and  religious  cha- 
racter of  seamen  were  both  organized.  We  have  not  room  here 
to  notice  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  various  societies  which  have 
since  been  formed,  to  aid  in  this  great  and  good  work  : but  only 
to  remark  that  since  that  period,  there  have  risen  besides  a goodly 
number  of  local  societies,  two  great  national  institutions  to 
carryforward  this  noble  enterprise.  “ The  British  and  Foreign 
Seamen’s  Friend  Society,  and  Bethel  Union,”  and  “The  Ameri< 
can  Seamen’s  Friend  Society,’’  with  about  one  hundred  smaller, 
yet  kindred  institutions,  show  clearly  to  the  attentive  observer,  that 
there  is  a spirit  gone  out  into  the  world,  in  relation  to  the  moral 
condition  of  seamen,  that  is  not  likely  soon  to  be  subdued.  There 
are,  besides,  in  England  and  America,  between  thirty  and  forty 
Marine  Bible  Societies  ! But  what  are  these  among  so  many  ? It 
may  be  asked  in  this  place,  what  have  these  societies  done  for  sea- 
men ? It  is  true,  with  their  very  limited  means,  and  the  difficulties 
they  have  had  to  encounter,  they  have  done  but  little;  and  yet 
they  have  done  something.  Man}'  thousand  Bibles  and  Testa- 
ments have  been  distributed  among  the  “tempest-tossed’’  mariners, 
to  cheer  them  in  trouble,  in  darkness  and  in  death  ; and  the  word 
of  God  alone  has  proved  the  richest  blessing  to  many  a sailor.  Be- 
tween fifteen  and  twenty  places  of  worship,  including  churches  and 
floating  chapels,  have  been  prepared  for  seamen,  and  preachers  sup- 
plying them,  to  give  the  words  of  eternal  life  to  the  long  neglected 
and  weather-beaten  mariner,  which  are  able  to  save  the  soul 
through  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Thousands  and  tens  of 
thousands  of  Tracts  have  been  set  afloat  among  the  sailors,  to  be- 
come companions  of  their  night-watches  and  leisure  hours.  Schools 
have  been  instituted  for  sea-apprentices,  and  sea-boys,  as  well  as 
for  adult  seamen  and  their  children.  Register  offices  and  savings 
hanks  have  been  opened  in  various  places,  for  the  benefit  of  sailors. 
Small  libraries  of  useful  books  have  been  provided,  not  only  for 
ships,  but  also  for  boarding-houses  ; and,  in  connexion  with  them, 
in  some  places,  reading-rooms  have  been  'pened  especially  for  sea- 
men. These  rooms  will  afford,  at  least,  a profitable  lounging  place 
for  an  hour  on  shore.  But  one  of  the  most  important  things  that 
has  been  done,  next  to  giving  seamen  the  gospel,  has  been  the  pro- 
vision of  respectable  and  orderly  boarding-houses.  According  to 
accounts  from  England,  there  are  at  this  time  in  the  United  King- 
dom, not  far  from  one  hundred  regular,  moral  boarding-houses  for 
sailors,  under  the  direction  and  inspection  of  their  societies.  Would 
to  God,  we  could  say,  there  are  any  in  the  United  States  ! We 
hope,  however,  before  long,  to  be  able  to  report  a number.  More- 
over, there  have  been  Bethel  prayer-meetings  holden  in  almost 
every  part  of  the  world  ; and  in  a number  of  important  sea-ports, 
men  have  associated  for  the  purpose  of  getting  sailors  to  attend 
their  meetings';  of  visiting  their  schools  and  boarding-houses  ; 
and  for  boarding  vessels  on  their  arrival  in  po  t,  and  thus  of  en- 
listing both  seamen  and  landsmen,  as  far  as  possible,  in  the  good 


29 


cause  of  reforming  sailors.  There  is,  we  believe,  in  addition,  one 
or  two  sea-missionaries,  whose  object  is  to  visit  various  parts  of 
the  world,  without  regard  to  kindred  or  tongue,  and  stir  them  up 
to  the  sailor’s  cause.  Sailors’  and  Mariners’ Magazines  have  been 
set  on  foot,  for  the  purpose  of  giving  general  and  extensive  infor- 
mation on  every  subject  connected  with  the  objects  of  these  socie- 
ties, and  of  keeping  the  public  mind  alive  to  their  importance  and 
their  interests. 

The  result  of  these  labours  has  been  the  fact,  that  a flood  of 
light  has  been  thrown  on  the  world  in  regard  to  the  character,  situ- 
ation and  prospects  of  seamen;  and  also  on  their  important  con- 
nexion with  the  various  interests  of  man  in  this  world,  and  the 
destinies  of  thousands  in  the  next.  More  knowledge  has  probably 
been  diffused  in  the  world,  on  the  subject  of  seamen,  within  ten 
years  past,  than  in  as  many  centuries  before.  But  knowledge  is 
not  all  that  has  been  gained  by  these  efforts.  The  soul  of  many  a 
poor  sailor  has  been  saved  by  them  ! It  is  not  possible  to  ascertain 
the  entire  results  of  these  efforts  on  the  moral  character  of  seamen, 
nor  yet  the  number  who  have  been  savingly  benefited  by  them. 
Five  thousand  seamen,  however,  have  been  reported  as  having 
passed  “ from  darkness  to  light,  and  from  the  power  of  Satan  unto 
God,”  by  means  of  them,  and  about  the  same  number  of  boat  and 
river  men.  in  Great  Britain  alone.  But  these  are  probably  not  all 
who  have  been  so  benefited  ; although  there  may  be  reckoned 
among  them  some  who  may  draw  back  unto  perdition.  We  have, 
at  present,  no  data  by  which  to  ascertain  the  number  in  America  ; 
it  is,  however,  confidently  believed  that  some  hundreds  have  been 
savingly  benefited  by  the  labours  of  these  institutions.  We  con- 
fidently expect  that  the  efforts  of  “The  American  Seamen’s  Friend 
Society,’’  will  soon  enable  us  to  ascertain  this  fact  with  some  de- 
gree of  probability,  as  well  as  a number  of  other  items  in  relation 
to  seamen,  and  those  connected  with  them.  There  is,  also,  an  ac- 
knowledged and  striking  difference  in  the  moral  sensibilities  and 
conduct  of  sailors  for  the  better,  since  the  commencement  of  these 
operations.  There  are  many  pious,  praying  men.  not  only  in  the 
merchant  service,  but  also  in  the  navy,  both  in  England  and  Ame- 
rica. It  is,  on  the  whole,  questionable,  whether  any  religious  in- 
stitution, according  to  its  efforts  and  the  number  of  its  friends,  has 
received  more  striking  testimonials  of  the  approbation  of  God, 
than  has  the  seaman’s  institution.  Such  facts  as  these  should  form 
a motive  sufficiently  strong  to  induce  all  the  saints  of  the  Most 
High  to  come  up  to  this  “ help  of  the  Lord  against  the  mighty” 
foes  of  seamen  at  once,  and  thus  rescue  many  a poor  sailor  from 
sin  and  condemnation. 

There  is  one  other  motive  which  we  will  urge.  It  is  d- rived  from 
the  shortness  and  uncertainty  of  human  life,  and  from  the  destruc- 
tions which  are  almost  constantly  coming  upon  the  sailor.  Human 
lif  , atbest,  is  but  “ a vapour,  that  appeareth  for  a little  time,  and 
then  vanisheth  away.”  Our  days,  in  our  best  estate,  pass  away 


•“  like  the  swift  ships,’7  and  are  gone  like  “tile  weaver’s  shuttle.” 
So  frail  is  man,  that  true  it  is 

“ The  spider’s  most  attenuated  thread, 

Is  cord,  is  cable,  to  man’s  tender  tie 

On  earthly  bliss  ; it  breaks  at  every  breeze.’’ — Young. 

This  fact  should  stir  up  a spirit  of  holy  emulation  in  all  the  chil- 
dren of  God,  not  only  in  the  work  of  self-preparation  for  their  last 
account,  but  also  of  doing  good  to  their  fellow-men,  and  spreading 
abroad  the  saving  health  of  Christ’s  salvation,  among  the  children 
of  this  sinning  world.  It  should  also  awaken  a slumbering  world 
to  the  long  arrears  of  obligation  to  her  seamen,  which  yet  remains 
uncancelled.  If  the  life  of  other  men  be  short  and  uncertain,  much 
more  may  this  be  said  of  the  sailor’s  life.  By  the  various  ills  and 
disasters  which  they  experience,  they  are  generally  swept  off  either 
in  youth  or  in  middle  age.  It  is  a marked  and  striking  fact,  that 
we  rarely  see  an  old  sailor.  They  are  swept  away  in  multitudes 
by  their  courses  of  dissipation  and  vice : and,  as  if  these  were  not 
enough,  to  their  aid  comes  in  the  pestileuce,  the  sword,  and  the 
storm.  The  latter  of  which,  alone,  is  almost  constantly  sounding 
the  funeral  requiem  of  the  poor  neglected  mariner.  “From  a 
ship  of  war  of  the  first  class,  carrying  above  a thousand  tr.e  1,  down 
to  the  little  fishing-boat,  with  but  two  or  three  hands  on  board, 
how  often  does  the  sea  ingulph  the  whole!  Death  carries  off  the 
heathen,  as  it  removes  our  neighbours  on  land,  by  a few  at  a time 
in  one  place,  and  by  a few  in  another,  and  that  by  a gradual  pro- 
cess. But  at  sea,  the  storm  howls  the  death-knell  of  multitudes  at 
once;  and  sometimes  the  battle,  in  a few  short  hours,  sends  into 
eternity  more  of  our  seamen  than  would  people  several  of  our  mid- 
dle sized  towns;” — and  most  of  them  more  unprepared  for  death,  if 
possible,  than  the  very  heathen  themselves,  and  yet  there  has  been 
little  or  no  persevering  effort  to  prepare  them  for  so  sudden  and  un- 
expected a change.  When  the  sailor  is  sick,  and  dying  in  a fo- 
reign land,  it  is  at  this  moment  too  lamentably  true,  that  “ no  man 
cares  for  his  soul.  When  he  is  pouring  out  his  life-blood  on  the 
deck  of  a ship  of  war,  or  is  in  an  instant  despatched  by  a cannon 
ball  into  an  eternal  world,  he  has  no  time  to  learn  what  he  must  do 
to  be  saved!  Or  when  sinking  in  the  deep  waters,  (he  waves  his 
winding  siieet,  and  the  howl  of  the  storm  the  last  sound  that  breaks 
on  his  ear,  he  can  receive  no  consolation  from  attendant  friends  ! 
In  his  sickness,  on  a foreign  shore,  he  looks  in  vain  for  even  the 
comforts  of  a parish  poor-house.  In  his  death,  in  most  cases,  he 
in  vain  asks  for  some  kind  neighbour  to  read  or  pray  for  his  edifi- 
cation ; and  never  can  he  direct  them  to  call  in  the  minister  of  the 
gospel  of  Christ  for  his  comfort.’’  The  number  who  are  thus  depri- 
ved, and  who  die  in  some  such  way.  is  incalculably  great,  probably 
not  less  than  tens  of  thousands  annually  from  Christian  lands.  And 
is  it  possible  that  such  a sum  of  human  wo.  in  so  interesting  and  use- 
ful a class  ofour  fellow-men,  can  be  suffered  longer  to  remain  unas- 
stiaged  ? Shall  not  the  benevolent  individuals  and  societies  who 


31 


have  taken  in  hand  to  alleviate  this  suffering,  and  to  reform  the 
vices  of  these  men,  be  promptly  and  liberally  supportedjin  their  un- 
dertaking ? Will  not  our  country  arise  from  her  slumbers  over  the 
miseries  of  her  seamen,  and  pour  a little  of  her  abundant  consola- 
tions into  the  hearts  of  her  suffering  tars  ? And  will  not  the  Chris- 
tian community  make  one  united  and  speedy  effort  to  bring  the  sea- 
men out  of  this  state  of  oppression  and  cruel  bondage,  “ into  the 
glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of  God  ?”  Will  not  the  ministers 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  immediately  sound  an  alarm  on  this  subject,  and 
both  by  argument  and  persuasion,  awaken  as  deep  an  interest  in 
their  congregations,  and  stir  up  as  active  efforts  for  the  salvation  of 
seamen  as  for  the  heathen  ? Will  they  not  do  it  for  the  very  hea- 
then’s sake?  We  would  affectionately  invite  them,  and  most 
earnestly  intreat  them  to  do  it,  for  the  love  they  bear  to  the  Sa- 
viour’s cause  on  earth  ! — for  the  interest  they  feel  in  the  peace  and 
happiness  of  their  country  and  of  the  world  ! — and  for  the  solici- 
tude they  have  for  the  eternal  salvation  of  immortal  souls,  a single 
one  of  which  is  of  more  real  value  than  all  the  wealth  of  the  uni- 
verse ! Look  again  at  the  sailor’s  influence  and  importance  in  the 
destinies  of  the  world  ! — Look  at  the  important  aid  which  they 
might,  and  would  render  to  the  church  of  God,  if  they  were  all  ho- 
ly men!  Look  at  the  frowns  of  heaven  which  rest  on  the  church 
and  on  the  world  for  their  long  and  cruel  neglect  of  them  ! — Look 
at  the  solemn  adjudications  of  the  last  day  ! — And  from  that  day 
look  at  each  single  sailor’s  soul  in  its  endless  progression  in  bliss  or 
in  wo  ! — And  then,  with  it  all  in  your  eye,  ask,  whether  it  be  possi- 
ble, with  all  the  apathy  of  the  Priest  and  the  Levite,  longer  to  pass 
the  seamen  by  without  binding  up  their  wounds — pouring  in  the 
consolations  of  the  gospel,  and  endeavouring  to  save  their  souls  ?— * 
I turn  mine  eye  on  the  stormy  deep  and  say — 

“I’ve  seen  the  dark  ship  proudly  braving, 

With  high  sail  set,  and  streamers  waving, 

The  tempest  roar,  and  battle  pride  ; 

I’ve  seen  those  floating  streamers  shrinking— 

The  high  sail  rent— the  proud  ship  sinking 
Beneath  the  ocean  tide  : 

And  heard  the  seaman  farewell  sighing, 

His  body  on  the  dark  sea  lying, — 

His  death-prayer  to  the  wind  ! 

But  sadder  sight  the  eye  can  know, 

Than  proud  barque  lost,  and  seaman’s  wo,— 

Or  battle  fire,  or  tempest  cloud, — 

Or  prey  birds’  shriek,  and  ocean’s  shroud  ! — 

The  shipwreck  op  the  soul.” 

To  prevent  the  painfulness,  and  the  crime  of  such  a shipwreck, 
O ! my  country,  this  appeal  is  made  to.  thee ! — O let  it  not  pass 
away  from  thee  unheeded,  lest  there  be  many  more  cries  to  heaven 
for  vengeance  on  thee,  from  the  souls  of  thy  seamen,  who  have  en- 
riched and  blessed  thee, by  toils  and  suffering,  by  tears  and  blood  ! 
Pity!  Pity!  O pity  the  sailor’s  dying  soul,  and  make  him  once 
happy  in  the  thought  that  he  has  Christian  friends,  and  a gratgfijl 
country ! 


CONSTITUTION 


OF  THE 

AMERICAN  SEAESKSI’S  FKIEKD  SOCIETY. 


Art.  1.  The  name  of  this  Society  shall  be  “The  American  Seamen's 
Friend  Society.” 

Art.  2.  The  object  of  this  Society  shall  be  to  meliorate  the  condition, 
and  to  improve  the  moral  and  religious  character  of  seamen,  by  the  esta- 
blishment of  well-regulated  boarding-houses,  and  suitable  libraries  and  read- 
ing-rooms, when  practicable  ; savings  banks,  register  offices,  schools  of  ele- 
mentary and  nautical  instruction  ; by  the  employment  of  agents  for  carrying 
into  effect  the  operations  of  the  Society  in  different  parts  of  the  United 
States,  and  by  the  use  of  such  other  means  as  may  seem  calculated  to  pro- 
mote the  designs  of  the  Institution. 

Art.  3.  The  officers  of  this  Society  shall  be  a President,  15  Vice-Presi- 
dents, not  more  than  two  of  whom  shall  be  residents  of  the  city  of  New- 
York ; 30  directors,  not  less  than  13  of  whom  shall  be  residents  of  New- 
York;  a Treasurer,  a Corresponding  Secretary,  and  a Recording  Secretary, 
who  shall  be  annually  chosen  by  the  Society,  and  who  shall  form  a Board  for 
the  transaction  of  the  business  of  the  Society.  They  shall  enact  their  own 
by-laws,  supply  their  own  vacancies  during  the  year,  and  appoint  honorary 
officers  and  directors.  Seven  members  of  the  Board  shall  constitute  a quo- 
rum for  the  transaction  of  any  business. 

Art.  4.  The  officers  and  directors,  or  a quorum  thereof,  shall  appoint  an 
executive  committee  of  nine  (including  the  Treasurer  and  two  Secretaries) 
residing  in  the  city  of  New-York,  or  its  vicinity,  to  continue  at  the  pleasure 
of  the  Board  during  the  year.  Five  of  the  Executive  Committee  shall  con- 
stitute a quorum  at  any  regularly  convened  meeting  : they  shall  have  the 
power  to  dispose  of  the  funds  of  the  Society,  to  appoint  agents,  and  pre- 
scribe their  field  of  labour,  and  in  every  other  respect  to  carry  into  effect  the 
designs  of  the  Institution  ; they  shall  make  quarter-yearly  reports  of  their 
proceedings  to  the  Board,  and  a special  report  at  any  intermediate  term,  when 
requested  by  a vote  of  the  Board. 

Art.  5.  The  Board  of  Officers  and  Directors  shall  meet  at  least  once  in 
three  months,  and  a special  meeting  shall  at  any  time  be  called  at  the  re- 
quest, in  writing,  of  any  three  members  of  the  Board. 

Art.  6.  The  Treasurer  shall  give  bonds,  annually,  to  such  amount  as  the 
Executive  Committee  shall  think  necessary. 

Art.  7.  Any  charitable,  or  religious  society,  having  for  its  object  an  atten- 
tion to  the  welfare  of  seamen,  may  become  auxiliary  to  this  Society  on  the 
payment  of  twenty-five  dollars,  and  by  the  engagement  to  pay  over,  annually, 
its  surplus  funds  into  the  Treasury  of  the  Parent  Institution. 

Art.  8.  Every  auxiliary  association  shall  be  entitled  to  send  a delegate 
to  attend  the  meetings  of  the  Society,  and  to  vote  at  the  annual  election  of 
officers  and  directors.  And  every  auxiliary  association  contributing  one 
hundred  dollars  per  annum  to  the  funds  of  the  Society,  shall  be  entitled  to 
send  a delegate  to  attend  the  meetings  of  the  Board  of  Managers. 

Art.  9.  The  commissions  of  all  agents  shall  be  signed  by  the  President 
or  Vice-President,  and  countersigned  by  the  Chairman  and  Secretary  of  the 
Executive  Committee. 

Art.  10.  No  person  who  is  employed  by  the  society  for  a pecuniary  conb 
peijsation,  shall  be  a member  of  the  Board  of  Directors. 


33 


Art.  11.  Every  person  paying  annually  into  the  Treasury  not  less  than 
two  dollars,  shall  be  a member  of  this  Society,  and  each  subscriber  of  twenty 
dollars  at  one  time,  shall  be  a member  for  life,  and  any  subscriber  paying 
fifty  dollars  at  one  time  shall  become  a director  for  life. 

Art.  12.  The  Society  shall  meet  annually  in  the  city  of  New-York. on 
the  Monday  preceding  the  second  Thursday  in  May,  and  any  special  meeting 
may  be  called  by  order  of  the  President,  or,  in  his  absence,  by  one  of  the 
Vice-Presidents,  at  the  request,  in  writing,  often  of  its  members. 

Art.  13.  This  constitution  shall  not  be  altered  without  a vote  of  two- 
thirds  of  the  members  present  at  an  annual  meeting  ; or  at  a special  meeting 
notified  for  this  purpose  ; and  notice  of  all  meetings  of  this  society  shall  be 
given  in  at  least  three  of  the  daily  papers  of  the  city  of  New-York,  and  one 
of  the  daily  papers  of  at  least  three  of  the  other  principal  Sea  Ports  of  the 
United  States. 

Art.  14.  Nineteen  members  shall  constitute  a quorum  at  any  meeting  of 
the  Society. 

The  following  is  a list  of  the  officers  of  the  Society  : 

President. 

Hon.  SMITH  THOMPSON,  New-York- 
Vice-Presidents. 

Hon.  PHILIP  HONE,  Mayor  of  the  City  of  New-York. 

JAMES  H.  McCULLOCH,  Esq.  Baltimore. 

ROBERT  RALSTON,  Esq.  Philadelphia. 

WILLIAM  ROPES,  Esq.  Boston. 

BEVERLY  CHEtV,  Esq.  New-Orleans. 

Hon.  STEPHEN  VAN  RENSSELAER,  Albany. 

NATHANIEL  SILSBEE,  Esq.  Salem,  Mass. 

JEREMIAH  DAY,  D.  D.  Net o-Haven,  Conn. 

THOMAS  NAPIER,  Esq.  Charleston,  S.  C. 

JOSEPH  CUMMING,  Esq.  Savannah,  Geo. 

CHRISTOPHER  FRY,  Esq.  Norfolk,  Fa, 

Gen.  C.  DUDLEY,  Wilmington,  N.  C. 

THOMAS  R.  IVES,  Esq.  Providence , R.  I. 

ARTHUR  McCLELLAN,  Esq.  Portland,  Me. 

Mr.  SHEAFE,  Portsmouth , N.  H. 

Francis  Olmstead,  Esq.  New-York,  Treasurer;  Rev.  John  Truair,  New-York. 
Cor.  Secretary  ; R.  M.  Blatchford,  Esq.  New-York,  Rec.  Secretary. 

— *«&<>&>■>»— 

Will  not  those  gentlemen  in  our  country,  who  have  been  enriched  by  com- 
merce and  the  labours  of  seamen,  contribute  liberally  to  the  funds  of  “ The 
American  Seamen’s  Friend  Society  ?” — Were  they  all  to  become  life  mem- 
bers or  directors,  would  it  not  be  honourable  to  them  ? 

Will  not  the  clergymen  of  the  different  congregations  in  our  country,  lay 
this  subject  before  their  people,  and  as  soon  as  may  betake  up  a collection  to 
aid  the  funds  of  the  A.  S.  F.  S.? 

Cannot  most  of  them  form  auxiliaries  to  the  A.  S.  F.  S.  in  their  con- 
gregations ? Are  there  not  a number  of  active  laymen,  who  would  most 
gladly  aid  a minister  in  such  a work  of  mercy  ? 

Will  not  the  Ladies  throughout  our  country,  when  they  think  of  the  sea- 
men, make  their  ministers  members  or  directors  for  life,  of  the  A.  S.  F.  S.  ? 

Can  there  not  be  obtained  a number  of  subscribers  to  the  Mariners’  Maga- 
zine, which  will  be  printed  with  fair  type,  on  fine  paper,  in  3emi-monthly 
numbers  of  16  octavo  pages  each,  and  be  delivered  to  city  subscribers,  by 
carriers,  at  their  houses,  at  82  00  per  annum. 

Country  subscribers  who  receive  their  numbers  by  mail,  shall  receive  the 
work  for  $\  50,  if  paid  in  advance.  Any  Bethel  Society,  company  of  indi- 
viduals, or  agent,  who  will  take  20  copies  or  more,  and  pay  in  advance,  shall 
have  the  Magazine  at  81  00  per  copy. 

E 


34 


The  following  gentlemen  are  agents  for  “ The  American  Sea- 
men’s Friend  Society,’’  for  the  time  being,  with  whom  collections, 
donations  and  subscriptions  to  its  funds,  may  be  deposited,  and  by 
whom  they  will  be  remitted  to  the  Treasurer,  F.  Olmstead,  Esq. 
New-York  : 


City  of  New-  York. 

Rev.  John  Truair,  Cor.  Secretary. 
Francis  Olmstead,  Esq.  Treasurer. 
Maine. 

Rev.  Ed.  Payson,  D.  D.  Portland. 
New-Hampshi  rc. 

Rev.  Professor  ShirtlifF,  Hanover. 
Mr.  Putnam,  Portsmouth, 

J.  W.  Shepherd,  Esq.  Concord. 
Vermont. 

Rev.  Chester  Wright,  Montpelier. 
Josiali  Hopkins,  New-Haven. 
Daniel  A.  Clark,  Bennington. 
Massachusetts. 

Wm.  Ropes,  Esq.  Boston. 

Nathaniel  Silsbee,  Esq.  Salem. 
.Josiah  Hussey,  Esq.  Nantucket. 

Hon.  John  Bannister,  Newburyport. 
Rev.  Mark  Tucker,  Northampton. 
Mr.  Osgood,  Springfield. 

E.  D.  Griffin,  D.D.  Williamstown 
Rhodc-Island. 

Thos.  R.  Ives,  Esq.  Providence. 
Connecticut. 

Rev.  S.  S.  Jocelyn,  New-Haven. 

E.  Averill,  Esq.  Hartford. 

T.  H.  Hubbard,  Esq.  Middletown. 
Rev.  Alfred  Mitchell,  Norwich. 

New-  York. 

Samuel  M.  Hopkins,  Esq.  Albany. 
John  Braddish,  Esq.  Utica. 

James  Vandusen,  Esq.  Hudson. 

Rev.  John  Johnston,  Newburgh. 

Dr.  Corning,  Troy. 

Josiah  Bissell,  Esq.  Rochester. 

Rev.  D.  C.  Lansing,  Auburn. 

G-  Crawford,  Buffalo. 

Gen.  Moores,  Plattsburg. 

Eliphalet  Wickes,  Jamaica. 

Rev.  Mr.  Gardiner,  Sag-Harbour. 
New-Jersey. 

Rev.  J.  T.  Russell,  Newark. 

D.  Fenton,  Esq.  Trenton. 

R.  Nelson,  Esq.  New-Brunswick. 
Pennsylvania. 

R.  Ralston,  Esq.  Philadelphia. 

Rey.  F.  Herron,  D.  D.  Pittsburgh. 


Rev.  Mr.  Duffield,  Carlisle. 

Wm.  Kirkpatrick.  Esq.  Lancaster, 
Delaware. 

Rev.  Mr.  Gilbert,  Wilmington. 
Maryland. 

J.  II.  M’Cullock,  Esq.  ) „ , ■ 

Samuel  Young,  Esq  5 B:lltlmore-  i 
George  Shaw,  Esq.  Annapolis. 

Rev.  John  Johns,  Frederickstown. 
George  Lemon,  Hagerstown.  - 
District  of  Columbia. 

Andrew  Coyle,  Esq.  Wash.  City.  | 
F.  S-  Key,  Esq.  Georgetown. 

T.  Vowel  1,  Esq.  Alexandria. 

Virginia. 

Wm.  Maxwell,  Esq.  Norfolk. 

Benj.  Brand,  Esq.  Richmond. 

John P.  Little,  Esq.  Fredericksburgh. 
North  Carolina. 

Thomas  Watson,  Esq.  Newhern. 
Rev.  Adam  Empie.  Wilmington. 

T.  B.  Lippit,  Esq.  Fayetteville. 
Rev.Wm.  McPheeters,  D.D.  Raleigh. 
South  Carolina. 

Thomas  Napier,  Esq.  Charleston. 
Aaron  Marvin,  Esq.  Georgetown. 
Georgia. 

Geo.  W.  Coe,  Esq.  Savannah. 

Rev.  S.  S.  Davis,  Augusta. 

Anson  Kimberly,  Esq.  Darien. 

II.  W.  Malone,  Milledgeville. 
Louisiana. 

Beverly  Chew,  Esq.  New-Orleans. 
Ohio. 

Rev.  Mr.  Root,  Cincinnatti. 

Alabama. 

Brazillia  Ames,  Esq.  Mobile. 
Mississippi. 

Rev.  Mr.  Potts,  Natchez. 

Missouri. 

Rev.  Salmon  Giddings,  St.  Louis. 
Tennessee. 

Dr.  R.  P.  Hays,  Nashville. 

Kentucky. 

T.  II.  Skillman.  Esq.  Lexington. 

Michigan  Territory. 

Rev.  Mr.  Welles,  Detroit. 


